History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Part 13

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

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The Blossburg Coal Company was incorporated by an act of the legislature approved April 11, 1866, for the purpose of opening mines on Johnson's creek, at what is now the village of Arnot, four miles southwest of Blossburg, from which place a railroad was constructed to the mines in the year named. In 1882 and 1883 the Arnot and Pine Creek Railroad Company extended this road to Hoytville, in Morris township, a distance of twelve miles.

Though constructed by different companies and operated as separate roads for years, the last two named were dependent upon the Corning and Blossburg road for an outlet down the valley of the Tioga river. This was secured by traffic arrange- ments maintained until December, 1884. when the control of the three lines passed into the hands of the "Erie." and they have since remained a part of that system.

THE FALL BROOK RAILROAD.

In March, 1859, the Fall Brook Coal Company was chartered by the legislature. The bill granting the charter was, however, vetoed by Governor Packer, but was passed over his veto and became a law. In this year the company opened mines at Fall Brook, seven miles east of Blosshurg, to which a line of railroad was surveyed and constructed. This line, seven miles in length, was the beginning of the Fall Brook system in T'ioga county. The principal owner of the railroad and the mines

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HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.

was Hon. John Magee, of Bath, New York, who some years before had come into possession of that part of the Corning and Blossburg railroad lying between Corn- ing and Lawrenceville, to reach which with the product of his Fall Brook mines he made a traffic arrangement with the owners of that portion of the line between Lawrenceville and Blossburg.

In 1866 the Fall Brook Coal Company commenced exploring for coal on the mountains near Wilson creek, a tributary of Babb's creek, about twelve miles south of Wellsboro, and rich mines were discovered. The lands were purchased by the Fall Brook Coal Company and a new outlet became necessary. This resulted in the incorporation, April 4, 1867, of the Lawrenceville and Wellsboro Railroad Company. A preliminary survey of the road was commenced in September of that year. Hon. Henry Sherwood took a deep interest in the construction of this road, and served as president for some time.

The road was opened in May, 1872, with a great celebration, which was at- tended by many distinguished persons from other parts of the country, among them being William E. Dodge and Governor Seymour, of New York. At Corning the road connects with the Syracuse, Geneva and Corning, which gives direct communi- cation with central New York, as well as east and west by the New York, Lake Erie and Western railroad.

The Cowanesque Branch .- Before the completion of the new road from Law- renceville to Antrim, a movement was started to build a road up the Cowanesque. This valley was the richest agricultural portion of the county, and as it contained a number of villages, it was important that they should have a railroad outlet. The work of construction was commenced at once and the road was completed from Law- renceville to Elkland, a distance of twelve miles, by September 15, 1873. In 1883 it was extended to Westfield, and later through Potter Brook to Ulysses, in Potter county.

In 1840 when the New York and Erie railroad was located, it was thought by many that it should have passed through the Cowanesque to Olean. Years after- ward a line was surveyed by Horatio Seymour, and on it the present road was built. The Cowanesque branch was leased to the main line, and the whole is known as the Corning, Cowanesque and Antrim line. From Corning to Antrim the distance is fifty-three miles. At Stokesdale Junction it leaves the Pine Creek road and runs through Wellsboro to Antrim, a distance of seventeen miles.

The Pine Creek Branch .- For many years efforts had been made to build a rail- road down Pine creek to connect with the Philadelphia and Erie at Jersey Shore, or the Reading at Williamsport. This was regarded as an important link, as it would afford an outlet for Tioga county to the south. In furtherance of this object the Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railroad Company was chartered, February 17, 1870, the proposed line to run from Jersey Shore, Lycoming county, up Pine creek to Ansonia; thence along the same stream to Gaines, and thence to Couders- port and Port Allegheny. The survey was made and the right of way obtained, but nothing further was accomplished in this county until a new company was organized and the route changed to run from Ansonia to Stokesdale Junction. This re-organization was effected in January, 1882, by the election of Hon. Henry Sherwood, of Wellsboro, president; George J. Magee, of Watkins, vice-president;

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INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

William Howell, of Antrim, secretary; Anton Hardt, of Wellsboro, chief engineer, and Cornelius Vanderbilt, of New York, treasurer. The executive committee was composed of the following gentlemen: Henry Sherwood, Jefferson Harrison, Anton Hardt, W. H. Vanderbilt, W. K. Vanderbilt, Cornelius Vanderbilt and George J. Magee. The directors were W. H. Vanderbilt, W. K. Vanderbilt, Cornelius Van- derbilt, Augustus Schell, George J. Magee, William Howell, E. G. Schieffelin, Henry Sherwood, Walter Sherwood, Jefferson Harrison, Jerome B. Niles, Anton Hardt and John W. Bailey.

No time was lost in pushing the work of construction. The stockholders decided that the road should be built to Williamsport, where connection could be made with the Philadelphia and Reading road. The charter formerly belonged to the Reading, but by a business arrangement it passed into the hands of the Van- derbilta, George J. Magee and their associates. The line was built from Williams- port, up Pine creek, to the mouth of Marsh creek, at Ansonia; thence up Marsh creek through the Big Meadows to Stokesdale Junction, connecting with the Corn- ing, Cowanesque and Antrim railway. It was completed and opened June 4, 1883, and at once became an important thoroughfare and outlet to the south. The road runs through an exceedingly wild and romantic region, the Pine ('reek canon not being excelled in natural grandeur by any other point touched by rail in the Alle- gheny mountains.

The road is operated as part of the Fall Brook system, and in efficiency of management is surpased by no other single-track road in the State. The distance from Wellsboro to Williamsport is eighty-two miles, and three passenger trains are run daily each way. The company operates 375 miles of main track and 118 miles of side tracks. There are 3,700 cars in its equipment. The Corning railway shops furnish employment to 617 workmen, including the engineers, firemen, inspectors at junction points, etc. The total pay-roll includes the names of from 1,800 to 2,200 men, according to business. The main line runs from Lyons, New York, to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, a distance of 187 miles. There are four branches, as fol- lows: The Fall Brook, the Penn Yan, the Cowanesque, and the Antrim. And remarkable as it may seem, the company has never killed a passenger. The Fall Brook railway stands at the head of single-track railwaya in this country. Its freight traffic for the year ending June 30, 1896, aggregated 6,559,590 tons-more than a half million tons greater than during any former year in its history. The methods of the Fall Brook company are far ahead of all others in systematic manage- ment and effective results. The company operates over eighty-seven miles of rail- way within the limits of Tioga county.

The principal officers are: George J. Magee, president; John Lang, first vice- president; W. H. Northrup, passenger agent; G. R. Brown, general superintendent.

THE ELMIRA AND STATE LINE RAILROAD.

The coal business of Tioga had grown to such proportions that another outlet by rail was demanded; and in April, 1872, the Elmira and State Line railroad, running from Elmira to a point near Lawrenceville, was chartered and soon after put under contract. The road was finished in October, 1876. A great celebration followed the opening, at which toasts were drunk and speeches made. After leaving the Tioga valley the road bears off through the township of Jackson and then

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HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.

descends to the valley of the Chemung, intersecting the Northern Central about. two miles south of Elmira. Soon after the opening it was consolidated with the Tioga road, as the Tioga and Elmira State Line railroad. The distance from Elmira to Blossburg is forty-six miles; and from the latter place to Hoytville, whither it. extends, the distance is fifteen miles, making the entire length of the line sixty-one miles. Of this distance thirty-five miles belong in Tioga county. The line is oper- ated by the Erie Railroad Company as the Tioga division.

THE ADDISON AND PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD.

The late Charles L. Pattison, of Elkland, was the prime mover in the organiza- tion of the Addison and Pennsylvania Railroad Company, in 1882, and was president. of the Pennsylvania division of the road up to his death, April 10, 1896. The sec- tion from Addison to Westfield, which enters Tioga county at Nelson station, was. completed, and the first train of passenger cars run between those towns, November 27, 1882, within ninety days from the time the work commenced. The line was. extended to Gaines by January 1, 1883, and later up the valley of Pine creek to Galeton, in Potter county. It was originally a narrow gauge road, but was changed to standard width in the spring of 1895. A short spur of this road, which leaves- the main line a few miles above Gaines, connects with the coal mines at Gurnee, in Gaines township.

It is thus seen that commendable progress has been made in railroad con- struction in Tioga county since the opening of the first road in 1840. The next. road likely to be built is the surveyed line from Blackwells up Babb's creek to con- nect with the Arnot and Pine Creek road at Hoytville. It will be a quick outlet down Pine creek for the settlers in that region. Blackwells, at the mouth of Babb's creek, is in the southwestern part of the county, and is becoming a place of some importance on account of its lumber and flagstone traffic.

OTHER RAILROADS.

The Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad, usually spoken of as the "Goodyear Line," was opened from Keating, in Potter county, to Ansonia, in the summer of 1895. It has since been extended to Wellsville, New York. It connects with the Fall Brook at Ansonia and is an outlet for travel and traffic to Buffalo.

The Northern Central Railway, which traverses the valley of Lycoming creek, touches the southern boundary of Union township at Roaring Branch and runs along the border for several miles, the station of Penbryn being in Tioga county.

The Tiadaghton and Fahnastalk Railway Company was chartered March 11, 1892, for the purpose of constructing a railway into Elk township, for the removal of logs and bark. It begins at Tiadaghton, on the Fall Brook railroad, extends six miles into the forest, and was built the same year it was chartered. The following officers were elected for 1896: President, Creon B. Farr; secretary, J. Harrison; treasurer, C. B. Farr; diectors, G. A. Veil, J. W. Hammond, D. M. Lounsbury, John L. Landrus, E. G. Schieffelin and George D. Aiken.

CHAPTER IX.

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.

PRIMITIVE SAW MILLS AND GRIST MILLS-THE MORRIS MILLS-FIRST MILLS AT WELLSBORO-BABB'S MILL-IN THE TIOGA VALLEY-EARLY LUMBERING OPERA TIONS-A RAFTING REMINISCENCE-ALONG THE COWANESQUE RIVER-PIONEER MILLS ON PINE CREEK-AN ERA OF RAPID DEVELOPMENT-RISKS AND CHARMS OF THE BUSINESS-THE TANNING INDUSTRY-IRON FOUNDRIES AND SMELTING WORKS-THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS - PROGRESS OF AGRICULTURE-AGRICUL- TURAL SOCIETIES.

T HIE pioneer settlers within the borders of what is now Tioga county found its surface covered by an unbroken forest, made up, for the most part, of pine and hemlock. The former grew in the valleys and low lands-though not confined ex- clusively to them, while the latter crowned the mountain sides and summits and occupied the uplands. Here and there were areas of the hard wood varieties, such as "sugar" maple, beech, oak, ash, etc. Before he could rear n home for himself and the members of his family, the settler had to elear a space, first for his cabin and afterwards for the little garden plot, that as the years went by, was enlarged, until the forest wilderness gave place to cultivated fields, producing abundant crops of everything needful to sustain life.

Although there was timber in abundance, there was no lumber, and the rude cabins that were erected, if they were floored at all, were floored with puncheons and round logs. Saw-mills were, therefore, a necessity, to provide lumber for the floor- ing and roofing of these frontier homes, and it was not long until they began to be erected in various parts of the county, upon such streams as had a flow of water suf- ficient to furnish power for the primitive machinery then in use. These primitive mills, with their flutter wheels and upright saws, led the way in the march of indus- trinl development, and about the opening of the century began the work of forest destruction that has stripped the hills and valleys of the county of the great growth of pine and hemlock amid the sombre gloom of which savage beasts had roamed for ages.

The grist-mill was no less a necessity than the saw-mill, but before grain could be ground grain must be raised, and this involved the preliminary and tiresome labor of clearing fields for cultivation. For several years the settlers were com- pelled to go to Jersey Shore and Williamsport, on the south, and to Painted Post, Elmira and Tioga Point, now Athens, on the north and east, for their flour or for the purpose of having their scant crops of wheat, corn and other grains ground, and many stories are still told of the perils and hardships endured during journeys to and from these trading and milling points.

The first mills resorted to for lumber and the grinding of their grain by the

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HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.

early settlers in the western and southern parts of the county, were those built by John Norris, on the headwaters of Little Pine creek, near what is now the hamlet of Texas, across the line in Lycoming county, as agent of Benjamin Wistar Morris. These mills, known as "Morris' Mills," were erected as early as 1799, and were on the line of the north and south State road opened up in that year.

In an advertisement of Benjamin Wistar Morris, published in the Lycoming Gazette, under date of November 13, 1806, inviting investments in lots in the new county-seat town of Wellsboro, attention is called to the fact that "a grist-mill, a saw-mill, and a store are situated within one mile of the town." These were the mills erected by Samuel W. Fisher on Marsh creek, below the borough limits of Wellsboro, a fuller reference to which will be found in the chapter devoted to Del- mar township. They were undoubtedly the first mills in this section of the county.

The first saw-mill on Babb's creek was erected in 1806, on the site of the present village of Morris, by Samson Babb, the pioneer settler on that stream.

IN THE TIOGA VALLEY.

In the absence of authentic records it is impossible, at this late day, to give the name of the builder of the first saw-mill in the Tioga river valley, which soon after its settlement became the scene of active lumbering operations. Previous to 1812 mills were erected along that stream and near the mouths of its branches as far south as Canoe Camp, and much lumber was manufactured for shipment down the river as well as for supplying an increasing local demand. It is said that the first grist-mill in the county was erected on this stream, at the mouth of Mill creek, by Aaron Gillet, about 1797 or 1798, and that he also erected a small distillery about the same time. Both were soon carried away by high water and Gillet removed to Cherry Flats. Adam Hart, one of the early settlers of Lawrence township, built a saw-mill and a distillery soon after locating. Joseph Middaugh, who settled near Hart, also erected a saw-mill. The first saw-mill at Tioga was built by Dr. William Willard, about 1800, or soon after. The first grist-mill here was built in 1805 by Nicholas Prutsman and his sons. As early as 1803 Elihu Marvin built a saw-mill at Mansfield, and in 1805 added a hand grist-mill, which he had purchased of Dorman Bloss, a millwright, then living at Beecher's Island. In 1812 Amos Spencer erected a saw-mill and a grist-mill at Canoe Camp. In 1809 the first grist-mill at Maines- burg was erected by Noah Rumsey, Sr., and two years later sold by him to Jonathan L. Spencer. It was about 1810 that the De Pui grist-mill was erected on the Tioga river below Tioga borough. It was resorted to by the settlers of the neighboring townships for many years.

All these early mills were primitive in their character and construction. The grist-mill and the distillery were operated to meet the demands of the settlers in their immediate vicinity. The saw-mills soon became of more importance, and the lumber manufactured in excess of local demand was floated down the river to the markets on the lower Susquehanna. It was the only thing for which cash could be quickly obtained, and it was relied upon by the settlers to furnish them the means to clear their lands and equip them with the implements needed in their cultivation.

The early lumbermen on the Tioga river, therefore, floated the product of their mills down to the junction of that stream with the North Branch of the Susque-

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INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.

hanna, at Tioga Point, now known as Athens; thence it descended the latter stream to the markets below. Returning from these rafting trips, the men generally came to Williamsport and walked over the mountains from Trout Run or Roaring Branch, for railroads had not then been built and the stage line was slow and uncertain.

It would be hard to estimate the value of lumber floated out of Tioga county before the advent of railroads. An old record says that in 1804 about 452 rafts, containing 22,000,000 feet of lumber, besides a large number of arks, loaded with wheat, flour, staves, whiskey and shingles, the whole aggregating in value $5,000,- 000, passed out of the North Branch at Northumberland. Of course only a small part of this was from Tioga county, it being then comparatively unsettled, but it shows the magnitude of lumbering operations in northern Pennsylvania even at that early day.

A RAFTING REMINISCENCE.

An old diary of a trip from Painted Post on a raft to Port Deposit, made by Judge Strong, of Steuben county, New York, in the early development of the busi- ness, gives an interesting reminiscence. Judge Strong says:

Many a time and oft when a boy have I taken a convenient station during the spring freshet and watched for hours the rafts and arks sweeping out of the Conhoc- ton and Tioga rivers, their rollicking stalwart crews, stripped to the shirt, neck and bosoms bare, with stout arms, when the pilot shouted, "Right! Left! Jump to the work," raising the large oars to the utinost, force them through the resisting flood with a will, then lower them and with a run carry them back ready for another stroke. So they fly from side to side, with brief breathing spells, like cannoners in an engagement.

The ice had gone in March, 1838, and the judge was at Painted Post when the opportunity presented itself for him to take advantage of the ambition of his life. He was employed to assist in running a raft to the bay as a "light hand," at five shil- lings per day and "found." The first place they passed was Newtown, now Elmira, and they landed six miles below at Hogback, where Sullivan had a battle with the Indians and Tories in 1779. He made the journey to the point of destination and returned, and gave a very interesting account of what he saw and learned, not omitting "a peep" at the legislature which was then in sesion at Harrisburg.

ALONG THE COWANESQUE RIVER.

In 1804 Eddy Howland built a saw-mill on the Cowanesque above Knoxville, and soon afterward Emmer Bowen and Ebenezer Seelye built one near Academy Corners. In 1811 Bethlehem Thompson erected a grist-mill a mile above Knoxville, the water being taken from Inscho run, and conducted to the mill in long continu- ous troughs hewed out of pine logs. This mill was operated about ten years. The first grist-mill at Westfield was built by Ayres Tuttle previous to 1812. It appears on the assessment list of that year. A grist-mill was erected at Beecher's Island or Nelson about 1810 by John, Thomas and Hopestill Beecher, pioneer settlers there.

In 1815 a distillery was built by Joshua Colvin at a large spring near Academy Corners. He brought the still and other apparatus from Herkimer county, New York. Rye and corn were used exclusively. The rate of exchange was six quarta of whiskey for one bushel of rye or corn. Sometime in 1818 John Knox bought Col- vin's apparatus and started a distillery at the Strawbridge spring, a short distance

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HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.

east of Academy Corners, and carried it on about five years. At this manufactory whiskey was made from corn, rye and potatoes. The product of both distilleries was sold at home.

PIONEER MILLS ON PINE CREEK.

The first mills on Pine creek north of the Lycoming county line were built between 1812 and 1815. One of these was erected about a mile and a half above Ansonia, in Shippen township, by Richard Ellis. Other early mill owners in this township were Asaph Ellis, who built a grist-mill; Reuben Herrington and Richard Phillips, who built and operated saw-mills. The pioneer saw-mill in Gaines town- ship was erected at Gaines about 1815, by John Smith, on Long run. Capt. John Phoenix built a mill in 1817 near the mouth of Phoenix run. The first grist- mill in the township was erected at Furmantown before 1820, by Aaron Furman. It was a hand mill and was later replaced by one run by water power. Mr. Furman also built a saw-mill which he afterwards sold to Col. Dudley Hewitt. All or nearly all of these early mills were washed away in the flood of 1832, which either greatly crippled or utterly ruined financially those who were engaged in lumbering opera- tions in the Pine Creek valley.

It is needless to go into a detailed history of all the mills erected in those earlier years in the different parts of the county. They have received adequate mention in the township chapters. They were all water mills and were equipped with the machinery then in use. Many of them could cut no more than 1,000 feet of lumber in twelve hours, and their output was consequently insignificant compared with that of even a small mill of the present. Much of the timber was simply squared and was floated down the stream in that form, many deeming it a less risky and more profit- able way of handling it.

AN ERA OF RAPID DEVELOPMENT.

The early settlers in the Pine Creek valley about and above Ansonia were lum- bermen rather than farmers. Pine creek was their highway to and from Jersey Shore,* the trips being made in canoes, constructed out of heavy pine trees, or in rude flat boats. When there began to be a demand for lumber the settlers scattered along the creek saw their opportunity and commenced manufacturing. The pine in this section of the county was of a superior quality, and made better lumber than ·can be obtained to-day. Mills sprung up rapidly and a new impetus was given to the business when the construction of the canal was commenced up the West Branch of the Susquehanna. By the year 1832 large investments had been made in timber lands along Pine creek and in the erection of saw-mills. Lumbermen came from the State of New York, as well as from Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, and engaged in the business. The flood of 1832, already referred to, proved disastrous to the growing enterprises, and its effects were felt for a long time. The field was, however, too inviting and it was not long before business rallied, and the woods swarmed with lumbermen, while the valley resounded to the chorus of many mills.

In 1829 Leonard Pfoutz erected a saw-mill and a grist-mill at Manchester, below Ansonia. In 1831 John Daily and John Beecher bought out Reuben Her- rington, who was known as a very stirring man. About this time John Mathers

* Pine creek was declared a public highway by the legislature, March 16, 1798.

Gece !. Scheffelin

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INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.

erected a saw-mill near the Gaines township line. This mill was afterward operated by Mathers & Scoville and then by John Mathers & Company, and after 1845 by Jesse Locke. Leonard Pfoutz sold his mills to Stowell & Dickinson, who, in 1833, were operating two saw-mills. In 1834 they were running four saw-mills and a grist-mill, and were cutting about 5,000,000 feet of lumber annually, which was floated down the stream to the river.

Hezekiah Stowell, the head of the firm, was a native of Chenango county, New York, where he was born in 1796. He came to Wellsboro, Tioga county, in 1833, young, vigorous and ambitious, and, associating himself with Peter Dickinson, they commenced lumbering on an extensive scale. In 1835 Mr. Stowell took up his residence at Pine Creek, now Ansonia, and continued to live there until 1851. The firm was active and progressive. They ran as high as 100 board rafts down Pine creek in a season, or when the water was favorable, and gave employment to 500 men. No greater firm carried on lumbering in the county in those days. They purchased 25,000 acres of timber land and laid the basis for an enormous business. But owing to losses they became commercially crippled and their land and property sub-

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History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Part 13

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