History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Part 12

Author:
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Harrisburg : R. C. Brown
Number of Pages: 1454

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His project proved a grand success. For weeks the Williamson road to Bath presented one continuous procession from the south-from Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and Virginia. The travelers left the shores of the James, the Potomac, the Patapsco, the Delaware, the Susquehanna, the Schuylkill, the Lehigh and the Passaic, and journeyed over this road through the county of Lycoming, which had just been organized, and extended to the New York State line. It was a curious as well as imposing spectacle, and the straggling savages who yet lingered in the shades of the wilderness, peered at it from the bushes with awe, for they could not divine its object. It was to them one of the incomprehensible freaks of the race that seemed destined to drive them they knew not whither.

As the entire distance from Williamsport to Bath-more than 100 miles-lay through a dense forest, the journey was long and fatiguing. In some instances the block houses built by Williamson were used as temporary stopping places over night, but the parties generally camped by the wayside. Many of these bands of travelers from the south were accompanied by negro slaves, whose duty it was to cook for their masters and care for the horses.

The races came off in September, 1796, and lasted for several weeks. Among the entries were Virginia Nell, by Charles Williamson, and Silk Stocking, by William Dunn, both of Bath. Virginia Nell was the pride of the Marylanders and Virginians, while Silk Stocking, the winner, was backed by New Jersey, Pennsyl- vania, New York and Canada. There were races during the daytime and theatrical performances at night, which made one complete round of pleasure and excitement. These scenes of gaiety were among the most remarkable ever witnessed in any coun- try; remarkable because of their occurrence in the heart of a wilderness, far from the habitations of men, and for years they were a theme of conversation among those who had participated in them and enjoyed the princely hospitality of the host. The effect was as anticipated, it advertised Bath far and wide, and gave Williamson the prominence which he sought.

For thirty years the Williamson road was the great thoroughfare between southern and western New York, and northern and central Pennsylvania, and con- tributed more towards the settlement of the country through which it ran, than any other agency. In early times the road was also a thoroughfare for drovers, raftsmen and emigrants, and for many years stage lines ran over it between Painted Post and

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

Williamsport. Many distinguished men of early days passed over it, not the least of whom was Aaron Burr, who visited Williamson about the time he was forming his conspiracy for his southwestern confederacy. During the War of 1812 many soldiers enroute for Buffalo and Canada passed over it, and returned the same way.

Charles Williamson, the projector of this great enterprise, was a Scotchman by birth, and an officer in the English army during the Revolutionary War. He was captured by the French, the allies of the Americans, and held a prisoner in Boston until the close of the war. When he founded Bath he built houses and mills, cleared the land, opened farma, built other roads and did a vast amount of work to reclaim the country. He was the first judge of Steuben county, in 1796, and its first member of Assembly, and caused an act to be passed enabling him to convey the vast property to Sir William Pultney, of Bath, England. After completing his legal business and surrendering his trust he sailed for England and died of fever while at sea.

At a meeting of the commissioners held October 1, 1811, instructions were given to Aaron Bloss and Samuel Higley to amend that part of the Williamson road lying between the Block House and Peter's Camp.

On the 19th of the same month the commissioners, according to a minute on their journal, gave to Andrew D. Hepburn an order to the state treasurer for the sum of $500, being the appropriation allowed for the Williamson road betwen Aaron Bloss' and the south line of Tioga county. Mr. Hepburn was a prominent business man of Williamsport, and it is probable that he had advanced this sum for the im- provement of the road.

In 1817 Aaron Bloss and others petitioned the legislature to appropriate $10,- 000 to improve this road, so as to make it a better outlet toward the south over which to haul coal, the mining of which was then in ita infancy. Tioga county, at that time, being a comparative wilderness, the legislature could not see the wisdom of expending so large a sum to give its few inhabitants the benefits of a first-class high- way, and the appropriation asked for was refused.

THE PATTERSON BROTHERS.

The faithful guides-Robert and Benjamin Patterson-settled in the old town of Painted Post, in 1797, after their contract with Williamson expired. They con- veyed their household effects in boats from Northumberland up the river vis Tioga Point, while their cattle were driven over the Williamson road. Robert Patterson, about the year 1804, removed to Lindley-still within the limits of the old town of Painted Post-where he purchased 1,000 acres of land and resided until his death, October 2, 1840. A few days before his death he had the satisfaction of seeing a locomotive with a train of cars pass through his farm on the Corning and Blossburg railroad, running parallel to the Williamson road, which he had located through the wilderness nearly fifty years before.

Some time during the year 1858 or 1859, the dwelling house of Benjamin Pat- terson, son of Robert Patterson, was consumed by fire, and a large amount of valu- able data pertaining to the history of Northumberland (now Lycoming) county during the Revolutionary War, and the building of the Williamson road, were con- sumed. Grace Adalaide, second daughter of Benjamin Patterson, and grand-dangh- ter of Robert Patterson, who married John L. Sexton, of Blossburg, remembers well

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HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.

having both seen and read many of the incidents set forth in the foregoing notes relating to the building of this road and the part her ancestor bore in the work. Her husband, Mr. Sexton, also testifies to the same, and regrets exceedingly the loss of the historical treasure.

MORRIS STATE ROAD.

Several years passed after the construction of the Williamson road before it became necessary to lay out any more roads. Settlers were slow to penetrate the heavily timbered regions in the northern part of Lycoming county, because they generally found more inviting localities in the valleys and along the river. When explorers did have occasion to penetrate what was then regarded as the "unknown wilderness," they traveled by the Williamson road.

In the meantime, however, the Pine Creek Land Compny had been formed. Morris and several of his friends had founded a settlement near the site of Texas, Ly- coming county, and it soon became apparent that there must be an outlet to the settlements on the river. A road, known as the "State Road," was projected from Newberry to a point near Painted Post. Application was made to the legisla- ture, and an act authorizing its construction was passed and approved April 8, 1799, which may be found in Smith's Laws, volume III., p. 375, as follows:

Whereas, Many respectable inhabitants of the county of Lycoming * * have presented their petitions to the legislature stating that the present road [William- son road ] from the town of Newberry, near the mouth of Lycoming creek to the Genesee country is extremely bad, so as to be passable with great difficulty, and judging that a road might be opened by a new course and it is reasonable that the prayer of the peti- tioners should be granted upon the terms hereinafter mentioned, therefore

Be it, etc., That the Governor *

* * be authorized to receive proposals for lay- ing out and opening a road, not less than twenty feet wide, from the town of Newberry * *

* to Morris' Mills ; from thence by the best and most direct route to the northeast corner of Strawbridge's marsh, or as near thereto as may be ; and from thence by the nearest and best route to the 109th mile-stone on the line dividing this State from the State of New York, or as near as may be, which road, when surveyed, laid out and opened, as aforesaid, is hereby declared to be a public highway.

That the expense of laying out and surveying the said road, and all charges incident thereto, shall in the first instance be paid by such of the citizens of the county of Lycom- ing, or other persons, as may think proper to subscribe for the purpose of defraying the expense thereof.

That after the said road shall have been laid out and opened **

* * the Governor shall appoint a suitable person to view the said road and make report to him ; and if it shall appear by said report that a road or cartway is actually laid out and opened between the town of Newberry, and the 109th mile-stone on the State line * *

* then in that case the Governor is hereby authorized to draw his warrant on the State Treasurer for the sum of $3,000 to reimburse the person or persons who were the subscribers for opening and laying out said road.

According to the brief records that have been preserved, the road was put under contract July 26, 1799, and finished late that year, or early in 1800. The contractor was Benjamin Wistar Morris, with Gideon H. Wells and Thomas Greeves as securities. They were members of the Pine Creek Land Company, and of course deeply interested in the construction of the new road. Samson Babb, who had purchased land from the company, was also interested and assisted in building

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INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

the road, in order to have an outlet. It is probable that the Land Company fur- nished the greater part of the money required, independent of the state appropria- tion, and the work was pushed by Contractor Morris.

The completion of the road was officially reported to the governor by Hon. William Wilson, of Williamsport, who had been selected for that purpose in accord- ance with the act, whereupon his excellency authorized the payment of the $3,000. The additional amount subscribed by citizens is unknown, as the papers have been lost. It is probable that Morris and other parties were liberal sub- acribers, as they were among the original projectors of the enterprise and were largely benefited by it.

The State road at first was little better than a "cartway through the wilder- ness," but it became the great highway of the time and much travel passed over it for many years. Portions of it are still in use and its route is pointed out by the older inhabitants. Newberry at that time was the center of commercial business on the river, and the supplies for the pioneers in Tioga township had to be obtained there and transported over the State road.

The draft of this road, which is still preserved in the land office at Harrisburg, shows the courses and distances throughout the entire route. It was made from the notes of Samuel Scott, by William Gray, the celebrated surveyor of that time, for submission to the governor, as part of the report to be made by Commis- sioner Wilson. The distances from Newberry, the starting point, are given as follows: To Brook's house, four and one-half miles; to Hoagland's run, eight and one-half miles; to Larry's creek, or Cogan's, sixteen miles: to crossing of Third Fork of Pine creek, at the marsh, twenty-four miles; to Morris' mill, twenty-eight miles; to the 109th mile-post, seventy-three and one-half miles.

The 109th mile-stone, as described in the last report on the State line survey, "is a small monument standing in cleared land at the west edge of the summit of a gravel bluff, north of Troup's creek, 978 feet west of monument No. 258. It is on the line between the property of H. Murdock and Edward Murdock."

MORE ROADS LAID OUT.

After the completion of the State road from Newberry the people seem to have been satisfied with their thoroughfares for a few years, for we find no record of any further attempt at road making for three years. On the quarter sessions docket for December, 1803, we find "the return of a road from the First Fork of Pine creek to Morris' [State] road near the fifty-first mile tree." It appears that James Kooken, John English, Moses Wilson, James Yarnall and John Norris, the viewers ap- pointed to lay out the road, reported that they had performed the duty assigned them, in these words: "Beginning at the First Fork of Pine creek, thence north five degrees east 220 perches, etc., to the fifty-first mile tree on the State road, which they adjudged necessary to public use." The report was confirmed by the court.

Another year passed before we find any reference to roads. At December ses- sions, 1804, William Willard, William Withington. Josiah White, John Kileny and Jesse Losey, who had been appointed to "view and lay out a road from Morris' [State] road down Crooked creek to Williamson's" road, made a favorable report.

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HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.

It commenced "at a white pine on the forks of Crooked creek" and continued until it intersected the Williamson road leading north. The court confirmed the report.

After a lapse of another two years we find that at May sessions, 1806, "William Ellis, Moses Wilson, Israel Merrick, Shack Stradley and Caleb Boyer, the persons appointed to view and lay out a road from William Ellis' mill, beginning on the margin of Pine creek and running to a "boundary lot in the Delmar purchase, in the tenure of Israel Merrick," made report that they had performed the work as- signed them. The record shows that the report was confirmed at September ses- sions, 1806.

At the December sessions of the same year as the foregoing, the record informs us that a "road was laid out from the State road down the Cowanesque to the State line," and that Ebenezer Taylor, Timothy Coates, Hopestill Beecher and Abel Cady were the viewers. Their report states that they commenced "at a buttonwood tree marked on the State road near the Cowanesque creek-thence through by Cady's field to intersect Williamson's road near the Cowanesque." Their report was con- firmed at the same session of court. This road evidently intersected the Williamson road near what is now Lawrenceville, and was a connecting link between the two thoroughfares.

'A road was laid out in the latter part of 1806 from the State line to the mouth of Crooked creek, and the report of the viewers was confirmed at February sessions, 1807. From the proceedings of May sessions, 1807, it appears that Nathaniel Allen, Ezra Spaulding, Nathan Fellows, William Benjamin, John Cummins and Ebenezer Thewald, laid out a road from Ezra Spaulding's to the New York State line. Their report was confirmed at the same court.

From a report made at November sessions, 1807, it appears that William Benjamin, David Reynolds, John Norris, John Sloan, Joseph Williamson and William Watson, viewed and laid out a road from the Block House to the State road, and it was confirmed by the same court. This was another connecting link between these two great thoroughfares.

EAST AND WEST STATE ROAD.

The next important road, after the Williamson and State roads, was the one projected from the Moosic mountains in a westerly direction. In pursuance of an act of the legislature, passed April 4, 1807, providing for the appointment of a commission to explore and lay out this road to the western bounds of the State, Henry Donnel and George Haines were appointed the commissioners. They made a survey and reported that they had laid out the road according to instructions. It crossed the river at Towanda, proceeded up Sugar creek, thence through East Troy, entered Tioga county in what is now Sullivan township, and ran west through Covington, Charleston and Delmar to Wellsboro. From this point it pro- ceeded westwardly through Tioga and Potter counties.

This road, although a "rough and rugged one," became an important thor- oughfare for early times, and hundreds of weary emigrants from the east in search of homes in Tioga county and the "Genesee Country," passed over it. Those going to Bath and other points in Steuben county, followed it until it intersected the Williamson road, when they took the latter and bore down the Tioga river. Many

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INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

of the New England settlers in Tioga, who came from the eastern part of Brad- ford and the western part of Luzerne counties, came over it. The trouble about land titles in the latter counties caused many persons to seek new homes in what was then the wilds of Tioga; and from this cause Tioga gained largely of that hardy, enterprising and progressive element known as New Englanders, which has left its impress and individuality on the country to this day.

Emigrants from other parts of Pennsylvania and from the States of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia found their way into the county by way of the Williamson and State roads from Newberry.

At a meeting of the commissioners on October 1, 1811, instructions were given to Israel Merrick, Bethlehem Thompson and William Matthews to open the East and West road leading from Wellsboro to the Big Meadows.

ERA OF PLANK ROADS.

When the era of plank road building set in the citizens of certain parts of Tioga caught the infection. These roads were generally projected for places where railroads were not available. In 1848 the Tioga and Elmira Plank Road Company was incorporated. The object of the road was to connect with another leading out of Elmira up Seeley creek to the State line, the distance to Elmira from Tioga being about twenty-three miles. As work was not commenced by this company in 1848, a supplement to the act was passed April 5, 1849, extending the time for building the road seven years. This act was supplemented by another May 14, 1850, creating the Tioga and Lawrenceville Company, with power to extend the road to Wellsboro, and repealing the acts of 1848 and 1819. This act created a new body of incorporators and empowered them to take possession of the highway.

That portion of the road between Tioga and Wellsboro was soon put under contract and finished, and for many years it was extensively traveled. When the plank wore out the company obtained a supplement to the charter permitting them to convert the road into a turnpike, which was done.

EARLY NAVIGATION SCHEMES.

The construction of numerous public roads during the first quarter of the pres- ent century, opened up avenues of communication between the different sections of the county and made the county seat accessible to the citizens of the various town- ships. They also enabled the settlers to reach Williamsport, Painted Post, Elmira, Athens, Towanda and other trading points, with such products as they desired to market or exchange for articles needed in their homes or on their farms. With the increase of lumbering operations, as well as a constantly increasing surplus of farm products, the inadequacy of these facilities began to be felt. The journeys over rough and poorly-worked roads was tedious and toilsome, and the time con- sumed in going and returning rendered it next to impossible to realize a profit on the products marketed. Some better way of accomplishing their marketing and trading was needed. The railroad being in its infancy, the canal gave the only promise of meeting the admitted needs of the people, and accordingly plans for either rendering the principal streams of the county navigable by a system of im- provements, or making them feeders for canals, were numerous, and were made the topics of town talk and public discussion.

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HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.

In 1817 the legislature declared the Tioga and Cowanesque rivers and Crooked creek navigable streams. (Pine creek had been declared navigable in 1/98.) It was thought that the Tioga river, running north into the State of New York, could be so improved as to render it safe for arks loaded with coal, then beginning to be slowly developed at Blossburg, and which it was early foreseen was destined to be- come a great article of commerce, if a demand could be created for it; or, in other words, if means for its transportation could be provided. The first step, therefore, was to make the river navigable.

In order to secure a better outlet overland toward the south, Aaron Bloss and others, in 1817, petitioned the Pennsylvania legislature to appropriate $10,000 toward improving the Williamson road over the mountains from Blossburg to Ly- coming creek, and Williamsport. But the legislature could not see the wisdom of appropriating that amount of money to build a good road into what was regarded as a wild and inhospitable region, and refused the petition.

Undaunted, however, by this failure to secure a better outlet to the south, agitation was continued in behalf of water navigation. Committees were appointed in Tioga county to confer with the citizens in the adjoining counties on the north, and strong efforts made to enlist their co-operation and support. In 1826 Uriah Spencer was appointed one of a committee to draft an address to the governor of New York in furtherance of a canal from the head of Seneca lake to the Pennsyl- vania line at Lawrenceville, to be continued thence by Pennsylvania authority to the coal mines at Blossburg. He and Samuel W. Morris were chosen a committee to present a petition to the legislature of New York, and Mr. Spencer visited Albany for that purpose in February, 1827.

The continued agitation throughout the country of the water navigation pro- ject, finally resulted in the passage of an act in March, 1823, for the improvement of the Susquehanna from Northumberland to Columbia, and it was expected by the citizens of Tioga county that as soon as this work was completed the upper waters of the Susquehanna would receive the favorable consideration of the legis- lature, and they would be benefited to some extent.

This was the first step in the great plan for internal improvement by utilizing the rivers. The next was the act of February 20, 1826, known as the General Improvement Law, which, among other things, authorized the organization of the Tioga Navigation Company. This law gave the people great encouragement. No time was lost in making preparations to start the improvement. A company was formed and Miller Fox, of Towanda, an eminent civil engineer, employed to make a survey and an estimate of the cost of putting the stream into a navigable con- dition. A fine drawing of the proposed canal has been preserved and may be seen at the office of Jerome B. Niles, Wellsboro. Considerable work was done. In 1836 a number of arks were built by different parties and loaded with coal. It was in- tended to run them down the river and connect with the Chemung canal, which had been completed to Corning. But the arks were sunk before any great distance had been made, and this mode of navigation was abandoned.

There was increased interest in the mining of coal, but the lack of transportation to market kept the business back. In 1838 the Arbon Coal Company was formed at Blossburg and James R. Wilson was chosen its first president. Another company,

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known as the Arbon Land Company, was also organized by the same stockholders, its purpose being to promote the building and early completion of the railroad from Corning to Blossburg.

THE CORNING AND BLOSSBURG RAILROAD.

It having become apparent that transportation by water was not feasible, attention was directed to the railroad, which then seemed to be the coming method. The Tioga Navigation Company caught the spirit of the hour and obtained from the legislature a supplement to its charter, authorizing it to construct a railroad from Blossburg to the State line at Lawrenceville. The distance was about twenty- five miles and the road was to run parallel with the river. This was an important movement and marked the beginning of a new era in the history of Tioga county. At the same time a company was formed to construct a railroad from the head of canal navigation at Painted Post to intersect the Blossburg railroad at Lawrenceville. This would afford an outlet for the coal. The entire line was completed from Corning to Blossburg in 1840, reaching the latter place in September of that year, between which time and January 1, 1841, 4,235 tons of coal were sent over it to market. ('ompared with the magnificently equipped lines of to-day, it was but a crude affair. Strap rails, laid on stringers were used, and the rolling stock was ex- ceedingly primitive. In 1852 the strap rails were replaced by the more modern T rail, and the roadbed and equipment greatly improved, the Ilon. John Magee having, in the meantime, become the owner of that portion of the line north of Lawrence- ville.

In 1852 a line, four miles in length, was surveyed from Blossburg to Morris Run, where new coal mines were being then opened up by the Morris Run Coal Company. This line was constructed under the direction of Col. Pharon Jarrett, of Lock Haven, and was opened for traffic in October, 1853.

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History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Part 12

Author: Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Harrisburg : R. C. Brown Number of Pages: 1454

Author:
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Harrisburg : R. C. Brown
Number of Pages: 1454