History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Part 147

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

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DAVID CLEMONS is acknowledged to have opened the first coal mine on Bear creek, at Blossburg, early in the present century, hauling an occasional load of coal overland to Painted Post. He was born on the banks of Lake Champlain, in Ver- mont, a son of Thomas Clemons, and received a good education. In early life he followed school teaching, and married a Miss Mallory, who died in Vermont in 1803, leaving three children, Camelia, Colburn and Alanson. In 1806 he came to Tioga county, Pennsylvania, and settled about three miles above the site of Cov- ington borough, on the farm now owned by W. J. Richards. Soon after locating here he married Ruth Reynolds, also a native of Vermont, who became the mother of five children, viz: William, deceased; Susan, who lives with her sister, Mrs. Ames, in Covington township; Cuyler, deceased; Roxanna, widow of Horatio W. Ames, and James, a retired farmer of Covington township. Besides operating in coal to some extent, Mr. Clemons also cleared and improved a small farm, upon which he resided until his death, in 1833.

ALANSON CLEMONS, youngest child of David Clemons' first marriage, was born in Vermont, April 2, 1803, and was but three years old when his father located in the forest then covering Covington township. He remained with his father until twenty-three years of age, when he bought a farm west of the river, on the present Copp Hollow road, where he cleared and improved some 200 acres, being one of the successful farmers of the community. He married Luthania, a daughter of John Copp, who became the mother of ten children, as follows: Sally A., widow of An- drew J. Clark, of North Dakota; Lucy, deceased wife of G. M. Butler, of Covington township; Thomas, a resident of Blossburg; Holland, George and David, all farmers in Covington township; Orrin, who died in infancy; Laumon, a contractor of Bloss- burg, and Nelson N. and William S., farmers of Covington township. Mr. Clemons and wife were earnest workers in the Christian church. He died February 2, 1867, and his wife, October 17, 1880.

HOLLAND CLEMONS, second son of Alanson Clemons, and grandson of David Clemons, the pioneer, was born in Covington township, Tioga county, August 10, 1834, and is one of the prominent and successful farmers of his native township. He remained on the homestead farm until twenty-one years of age, and then bought fifty-six acres of his present place, to which he has since added, until he is now the owner of 122 acres of well-improved land. On April 17, 1858, he married Martha Walker, a daughter of Lewis Walker. She was born in the Frost settlement, June 27, 1830, and is the mother of two children, viz: Frank L., born February 14, 1862, who died March 29, 1891, leaving a widow, Mrs. Ida (Ely) Clemons; and Mary I.,

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wife of W. H. Olney, of Mansfield, who has three children, Charles H., Frank L. and Dee H. Frank L. Clemons was educated at Wellsboro, graduating in the class of 1881, and was soon after appointed deputy sheriff. He served in that office eight months, after which he taught two terms in the home school, and then became principal of the Covington graded school. He subsequently became book-keeper and paymaster of the Cedar Run Tanning Company, at Leetonia, and two years later store manager. He had been promised the appointment of superintendent of the Leetonia plant, but death cut short his promising career. Mrs. Holland Clemons is a member of the Church of Christ. In politics, Mr. Clemons is a Re- publican, has filled the offices of treasurer, school director, assessor and supervisor in Covington township, and is also a member of the Grange.

ISAAC WALKER, a native of Shirley, Massachusetts, was born March 18, 1767; a son of Samuel and Mary (Stratton) Walker. His father was born in Massachusetts, August 30, 1721, and was a son of Seth and Eleanor (Chandler) Walker, a grand- son of Joseph and Sarah (Wyman) Walker, and great-grandson of Samuel Walker, who came from England to America in 1630, with his father, Capt. Richard Walker, also a native of England, and the founder of this branch of the Walker family in America. Isaac was reared in his native place, and married Polly Porter, of Charles- ton, New Hampshire. They located at Langdon, New Hampshire, where eleven children were born to them, as follows: Royal, Isaac, Polly, Asahel, Stratton, Luther, Lewis, Roswell, Lydia, James and Cynthia. Of these Isaac, Asahel, Roswell and Cynthia removed from Covington to Illinois. In 1813 Isaac Walker and family came to Tioga county, Pennsylvania, and located on what is now the Charles How- land farm, in Covington borough. Here he passed the remaining years of his life, dying July 25, 1839. His wife died March 24, 1847, at the ripe age of seventy- eight years. They were among the first settlers of Covington, and their descendants are among the leading and respected people of the community which they helped to found.

ROYAL WALKER, eldest son of Isaac Walker, was born at Langdon, New Hamp- shire, January 14, 1796, and was seventeen years old when the family came to Tioga county. He married Rachel Johnson, of Bradford county, and resided on the farm settled by his father during the remainder of his life. To Royal and Rachel Walker were born eight children, all of whom are dead, viz: Samuel S., for forty-six years an engineer on the Erie railroad; Eliza, deceased wife of Charles Howland, of Covington; William, who died in Australia; James P., a conductor on the Erie railroad for many years; Henry E., a fireman on the same road, who was killed in a wreck; Elmina, Elvina and Zilphia. Mr. Walker died at Covington October 16, 1875, in which place his wife had died August 30, 1842.

STRATTON WALKER, fifth child of Isaac Walker, was born in Langdon, New Hampshire, July 14, 1801, and came with his parents to Tioga county in boyhood. He was reared in Covington, and subsequently purchased a tract of timber land adjoining the farm of his brother, Lewis, with whom he made his home while clearing and improving his property. He was a sufferer from curvature of the spine, and consequently never married. He spent his later life with his nephew, Lewis R. Walker, to whom he had rented his farm, and died February 14, 1880, in his seventy-ninth year.

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LEWIS WALKER, seventh child of Isaac Walker, was born at Langdon, New Hampshire, December 15, 1803, came with his parents to Tioga county, and re- mained working on the home farm until he was twenty-three years old. He then bought 100 acres of timber land two miles east of Covington borough, and building thereon a rude cabin, he took up his residence on his purchase and began the work of clearing and improving it. Mr. Walker became a well-known and successful farmer, a good business man and a highly respected citizen. December 14, 1826, he married Isabel Butler, of Vermont, who shared with him the trials and hardships of pioneer life. They became the parents of ten children, named as follows: Elizabeth, deceased wife of Charles Jaquish; Emmeline, deceased wife of J. G. Noble; Martha, wife of Holland Clemons, of Covington township; Olive, wife of Charles Marvin, of Bradford county; Lewis R., of Covington township; Ellis, who died at the age of two years; Isaac D., who died at Nashville, Tennessee, July 27, 1864, while a soldier in the Union army; Mary J., wife of Benajah Wilcox, of Corning, New York; James, who died in Andersonville Prison during the Rebellion, and Milton R., who lives on a part of the old homestead. In politics, Mr. Walker was a Demo- crat, and in religion, both he and wife were members of the Christian church. He died June 17, 1870, and his wife, December 23, 1876.

LEWIS RANDALL WALKER, oldest son of Lewis and Isabel (Butler) Walker, was born on the homestead farm in Covington township, Tioga county, December 1, 1834. He received a common school education, and remained with his parents until 1861, when he began for himself on a rented farm. In the autumn of 1862 he located on his present farm, then owned by his uncle, Stratton Walker, where he has since been engaged in general farming. On December 26, 1860, Mr. Walker married Arvilla Wilcox, a daughter of John H. Wilcox. She was born in Delmar township, May 28, 1842, and became the mother of nine children, as follows: Henry E., a tinsmith, residing in Corning; James A., a hardware merchant of Woodhull, New York; Isaac D., a farmer of Gibson, New York; Ora J., a farmer of the same place; Eva A., wife of Ralph VanKcuren, of Gibson; Lewis S., who died in child- hood; Earl S., a teacher in New York state; Martha A., who is employed in the State Normal School, at Mansfield, and Alfred G., who lives in Gibson. Mrs. Walker was an active member of the Christian church. She died March 14, 1882. Mr. Walker was again married February 24, 1883, to Louisa Miller, a daughter of Isaac Miller, of Potter county, who bore him four children, viz: Porter N., Mary E., Jessie Q. and Randall C. Mrs. Walker died on August 21, 1894. She was a consistent member of the First Baptist church of Covington. For twenty years Mr. Walker was a member of the I. O. O. F. Politically, he is a Republican, and has held most of the township offices at different periods.

MILTON R. WALKER, youngest child of Lewis and Isabel Walker, was born on his present farm in Covington township, June 14, 1846, and has spent his entire life upon the homestead, which contains seventy-four acres and is well-improved. May 4, 1872, he married Hannah M. Wilcox, a daughter of Benajah Wilcox. She was born August 30, 1850, and is the mother of five children, as follows: Cora M., William J., Lewis, Isabel and Hannah M. Mrs. Walker is a member of the Christian church. In politics, he is a Democrat, and has served three years as school director and one year as treasurer of the school board.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

JAMES WALKER, youngest son of Isaac Walker, was born at Langdon, New Hampshire, April 22, 1809, and was only four years old when the family settled in Covington township, where he attended school in the pioneer log building of that locality. After attaining manhood he purchased a small farm, and also worked in a sash and blind factory at Covington for a few years. He later took up the car- penter's trade, and subsequently sold his property in Covington and bought a farm in the eastern part of Covington township, which he afterwards disposed of and moved to Blossburg, where he was employed for about twenty years as foreman of the carpenter department in the shops of the Tioga Railroad Company. In 1884 he retired from active labor, and resided with his son, Delos H., up to his death, July 18, 1887. Mr. Walker married Eliza Hazleton, a daughter of Dr. John Hazleton, of Townsend, Vermont, who bore him three children, viz: Delos H., of Covington township; Roswell A., who died at Belle Plains, Virginia, December 9, 1862, while a soldier in Company C, One Hundred and Thirty-second Pennsyl- vania Volunteers, and Mary A., wife of Alfred T. James, of Philipsburg, Pennsyl- vania. Mrs. Walker died at the home of her son, Delos H., January 25, 1885.

DELOS HAZLETON WALKER, oldest child and only living son of James and Eliza Walker, was born in Covington, Tioga county, November 25, 1835. He obtained a good common school education, commenced teaching when nineteen years of age, and taught seven winter terms. When twenty-one years old he rented a farm in Covington township, on which he resided up to 1862, and then went to Morris Run, where he was employed for ten years by the Morris Run Coal Company, first as weighmaster, and later as book-keeper. In the autumn of 1873 he moved to Wellsboro, and in December following he was appointed deputy sheriff, by Sheriff Bowen. In the fall of 1876 he was elected sheriff, on the Re- publican ticket, with which party he has always affiliated, and served a full term. In the spring of 1880 he removed to a farm in Covington township, three miles southwest of Covington, which he had purchased during his residence in Morris Run. It contains 130 acres of well-improved land, and he also owns 180 acres of timber land in the same township. He has since devoted his principal attention to general farming, and is one of the leading agriculturalists of this section of the county. Mr. Walker was married June 9, 1860, to Julia A. Frost, a daughter of Lyman Frost, who came from Tioga county, New York, at an early day and located in Covington township, the locality being now known as the "Frost Settlement," where he engaged in the lumber business. Mr. Frost married Hannah Ufford, who bore him eleven children, ten of whom grew to maturity, viz: Asal V., of Wis- consin; Ruel, of Nevada; Nathaniel, who lives in Minnesota; Keziah, wife of M. C. Seely, of Washington; Nancy, wife of Horman Allen, of Missouri; Julia A., wife of D. H. Walker; Sarah, wife of A. M. Whittaker, of Kansas; Mary, de- ceased wife of Arthur Goodspeed, of Mansfield; Jane, wife of S. D. Cudworth, of Missouri, and Lyman, a resident of the same State. Mrs. Frost died in Mirabile, Missouri, April 23, 1885, and her husband, in the same place, August 7, 1896, at the ripe age of ninety-one years. Mrs. Walker was born June 28, 1839, and is the mother of five children, viz: Maud Lillian, and Bertie Roswell, both of whom died in infancy; Houston Frost, principal of the Blossburg schools; Bertha May, wife of Oliver F. Kelley, of Corning, and Lyman James. Mr. and Mrs. Walker are

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members of the First Baptist church of Covington. He has always taken a promi- nent part in public affairs, has filled the offices of school director, auditor and town- ship clerk, and is a member of the K. of H.

SAMUEL FROST, a native of Massachusetts, born April 7, 1781, was a successful farmer and lumberman. He married Keziah Edson, and reared a family of eleven children, viz: Lucy, Hiram, Lyman, Julia, Calvin, Ashbel, Samuel, Betsey, James, Stillman and Elias, the last three of whom were born in Tioga county, New York. Of this family, Lyman, Calvin, Samuel, James and Elias, all located at or near what is now known as the "Frost Settlement" and have left numerous descendants in this section of the county.

ELIAS FROST, youngest son of Samuel Frost, was born in Tioga county, New York, February 19, 1822. When he was sixteen years old he went to work on his own account, and after arriving at manhood bought a farm in the Frost settlement. Nine years later he sold this property and in the fall of 1856 purchased 132 acres in Richmond township, where he has since resided. In 1847 he married Elizabeth Bryant, a daughter of David Bryant, of Richmond township, who bore him six children, as follows: Adaline, deceased; Harvey, a resident of Richmond township; Samuel S., of Covington township; Ameda, deceased; Adeloa, wife of Burt Mudge, of Covington, and Arthur, a farmer of the same township.

SAMUEL S. FROST, a son of Elias Frost, and grandson of Samuel Frost, was born in the Frost settlement, Tioga county, July 28, 1850, and attended the common schools in boyhood. When nineteen years of age he began working out as a farm hand, which he continued up to his twenty-fourth year, when he and his brother, Harvey, bought a farm. A year later he sold his interest in this property, and in April, 1874, purchased fifty acres of his present farm. In October, 1883, he bought an additional sixty acres, and in April, 1888, fifty acres more, and now owns a well-improved property of 160 acres. Mr. Frost was married March 30, 1873, to Dorcas M. Kiley, a daughter of John Kiley. She was born on December 30, 1853, and is the mother of four children, viz: Walter E., Stella M., John S. and Earl J. Mrs. Frost is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics, a stanch Republican, Mr. Frost has filled the office of school director for the past five years and was treasurer of the school board for three years. He is one of the enterprising farmers of his native township:

EPHRAIM B. GEROULD was born in Newtown, Connecticut, January 14, 1788, a son of Jabez and Demaris (Bennett) Gerould. His father was born in Wrentham, Massachusetts, November 1, 1748, and was a son of Gamaliel and Rebecca (Law- rence) Gerould, and a grandson of Dr. Jacques Gerould, a silk manufacturer of France, who came to America in 1685 and finally located in Medfield, Massachusetts. Jabez Gerould was a soldier in the Revolution, and subsequently followed black- smithing in Newtown, Connecticut, whence he removed to Franklin, New York, in 1798. In 1801 he located in East Smithfield, Bradford county, Pennsylvania, where he died on June 12, 1802. His wife, Demaris, survived until March 20, 1829. Their children were Jerusha, James, Susanna, Ephraim B., George, Ziba, Jabez L., Abel J. and Theodore. Ephraim B. was thirteen years old when the family settled in Bradford county. There he grew to manhood and married Eliz- abeth Foster, who bore him one son, Theodore Clark. She died on August 11;

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1824, and soon afterwards Mr. Gerould came to Tioga county and bought a large farm in Covington township. He subsequently married Christiana Putnam, a daughter of Thomas Putnam, who became the mother of three children, viz: Henry M., Otis G. and Maria E. Mr. Gerould was a prominent and successful man, and was actively engaged in merchandising, lumbering and farming. He was also a surveyor, and agent for the Bingham lands in this section of the county. He was an earnest worker in the Baptist church, and in politics, a stanch Democrat. He filled the office of postmaster for a period, and was a brigade inspector in the militia: He died on April 22, 1845, and his wife, Christiana, October 23, 1871. She also was an active and zealous worker in the Baptist church, and it was through her faith- fully carrying out the plans of her husband, after his death, that the Baptist church edifice was erected.

OTIS GIBSON GEROULD, ex-treasurer of Tioga county, was born in the borough of Covington, Tioga county, December 17, 1830, and grew to manhood in his native township. He obtained a good education, and adopted farming as his life vocation. In November, 1861, he enlisted in Company L, Seventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, and was made commissary sergeant. In 1862 he was promoted to battalion commissary sergeant, and served in that capacity until September 9, 1863, when he rejoined his company with the rank of first sergeant, and participated in all of its battles up to October 13, 1864, when he was wounded near Rome, Georgia. He was confined in hospital until March, 1865, when he rejoined his company with the rank of first lieutenant, and was honorably discharged at Macon, Georgia, in August, 1865. Returning to his home he resumed farming, which he continued up to 1880. In 1889 he was elected county treasurer, and filled the office three years. He has also been a justice of the peace for ten years, and has filled the offices of school director, member of council, high constable, street commissioner and collector of taxes; as well as that of burgess of Covington. Mr. Gerould was married January 13, 1855, to Mary, a daughter of John Seamon, of Ithaca, New York, to which union have been born seven children, viz: Putnam B., a glass worker, of Covington; Otis, a book-keeper and farmer, who lives in California; Adah, who died at the age of six years; Effie, a kindergarten teacher in Cleveland, Ohio; Belle, wife of Herbert L. Bloom, of Wellsboro; Christiana, wife of Edgar E. VanCampen, and James N. a glass worker, of Kane, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Gerould are members of the First Baptist church, and in politics, he is a Republican. He has been a member of the I. O. O. F. since 1856, and was district deputy for eight years. He is also connected with the U. V. L. and the G. A. R., in both of which he takes an active interest:

TIMOTHY KNOWLTON was one of the early pioneer settlers of Sulli- van township, Tioga county, where he located as early as 1812, pur- chasing 300 acres of land four miles east of Covington, the present townships of Covington, Richmond and Sullivan cornering on his farm. He was born in Mason, New Hampshire, July 2, 1788, a son of Henry and Sybil (Wright) Knowlton, and came from New Hampshire to Tioga county. At that time Sullivan township was covered by the primitive forest, with here and there a clearing and a rude log cabin. Mr. Knowlton was then unmarried, and his sister Eunice kept house for him five years. He went bravely to work to make

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HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.

a home, the forest gradually yielded to his sturdy industry, and cultivated fields took its place. His entire life in this county was spent in the peaceful pursuits of agriculture. On January 6, 1820, he married Polly Pitts, a daughter of Hanover and Mollie (Cudworth) Pitts, pioneers of Sullivan township. She became the mother of ten children, as follows: Polly M., deceased wife of Hosea Kennedy; Benjamin F., of Shippen township; John C., of Richmond township; Andrew J. and Charles W., both deceased; Caroline M., widow of Isaiah Blackburn; Eliza J., deceased wife of Frank Vanvalin; Mary A., deceased wife of Lyman Hakes; Leander, who died in infancy, and Hanover Pitts, of Covington township. Mr. Knowlton lived on his farm in Sullivan up to 1865, when he went to Vineland, New Jersey, and made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Vanvalin, until his death, August 16, 1868. Mrs. Knowlton survived her husband nearly nineteen years, and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Blackburn, in Richmond township, Tioga county, May 30, 1887.

HANOVER PITTS KNOWLTON, youngest child of Timothy Knowlton, was born in Sullivan township, Tioga county, December 19, 1838, and was educated in the common schools of his district. When twenty years of age he went to Tioga and opened a meat market, remaining in that business one year. He then purchased a farm of seventy-two acres in Delmar township, upon which he lived until the spring of 1866, when he removed to Mansfield and engaged in merchandising. He continued in that business twenty months, at the end of which period he removed to a farm in Sullivan township. He later engaged in the meat business, and then bought a farm in the Frost settlement, on which he has since lived. He is the owner of two farms in Covington, embracing 110 acres, and also owns thirty acres of timber land in Sullivan township. After locating in Covington, he followed the meat business for a period, but has since devoted his whole attention to general farming and dairying, being also the owner of a steam thresher. Mr. Knowlton was married January 7, 1860, to Sarah E., a daughter of Leonard Phillips, of Sul- livan township, where she was born on February 23, 1839. Eight children have blessed this union, as follows: Julia M., widow of R. L. Smith, of Jersey City, New Jersey; Eliza L., wife of D. W. Williams, of Colorado; Carrie M., wife of Nelson Whitteker, of Richmond township; Leonard J., principal of the High School, Butte, Montana; Matthew S., also a teacher; Sadie L., wife of Daniel Burnside, of Silverton, Colorado; Hanover W., and Ethel L., both of whom live with their parents. In politics, Mr. Knowlton is an ardent Democrat, has served three years as school director, and is an active member of the Patrons of Husbandry.

JOHN JAQUISH was born in New York City, June 17, 1754. His father, a native of England, was a sea captain, whose home was in New York, and was finally lost at sea, though it is supposed that he was murdered by Captain Kidd, the notorious pirate. When John was fourteen years old he was bound out to learn the harness-maker's trade, and at the breaking out of the Revolution he enlisted and served throughout the war. He was afterwards given a pension and three land grants in the state of New York, on one of which he settled, in Delaware county, where he resided up to his death, August 3, 1845. He married Catherine Wheaton, who bore him eleven children, viz: John, Margaret, Dorothy, Joseph, Eliza-

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beth, David, James, Matthias, Daniel H., Sarah and Nathan B. Mrs. Jaquish died September 8, 1842, in the eighty-first year of her age.

JOSEPH JAQUISH, second son of John Jaquish, was born in Delaware county, New York, November 2, 1787, and there grew to manhood. He received a good education, and after teaching school for a few years, he rented land and engaged in farming. In June, 1828, he came to Tioga county, Pennsylvania, and bought 120 acres of forest land, where Charles Jaquish now lives, which he cleared and im- proved, residing thereon up to his death, August 3, 1867. He married Clarissa M. Reynolds, a native of Rhode Island, born December 2, 1793, who became the mother of eight children, viz: Welcome, who died in 1884, in his sixty-ninth year; John W., who died in 1874, in his fifty-sixth year; Horace S., a resident of Richmond township, born in 1819, who followed teaching and farming, and also served in Company B, One Hundred and First Pennsylvania Volunteers; Charles, a farmer of Covington township; Joseph B., a resident of Minnesota, who served in Company K, Two Hundred and Seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers; Phoebe M., de- ceased wife of W. H. Strong, of the same State; Desire A., widow of Henry Beardsley, who lives in Wisconsin, and Elizabeth M., widow of Evan Lewis, of Charleston township. Mrs. Jaquish died on the old homestead, February 17, 1864.

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History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Part 147

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