History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Part 3

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

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Crooked Creek, the principal tributary of the Tioga river, has its head waters in Chatham township, and pursues a southeast course until it reaches Middlebury Cen- tre, when it turns northeast and flows through Middlebury and Tioga townships, uniting with the river at Tioga borough. The Crooked creek canon, which splits the second mountain range, and issues at Tioga borough, is traversed as far as Mid- dlebury Centre by the Fall Brook railroad, running from Lawrenceville to the An- trim mines, of the first or Blossburg range by way of Wellsboro. At Holidaytown its grade is 1,151 feet above tide water; at Middlebury Centre, 1.119 feet; at Wells- boro, the county seat, in the center of the valley, and on the crown of the anticlinal and divide between the waters which flow four ways, 1,31? feet. At the railroad summit, in a low gap in the first range, it is 1,862 feet, and at the Antrim coal mines. 1,672 feet. Antrim terminus and Arnot terminus are therefore nearly on a level with each other and with the Morris run terminus, 1,678 feet.

Lycoming ('reck, another important stream, which skirts the southern corner of the county, flows at the same level as the Tioga river at Covington; the grade of the Williamsport and Elmira railroad at Carpenter being 1,200 and the Tioga railroad grade at Covington 1,208 feet.

Pine Creek-"River of the Pines"-is a stream of considerable volume, and drains an extensive water shed. It has its source in Potter county. From the mouth of Marsh creek, at Ansonia, all the way southward to Lycoming county, it flows in a deep and narrow valley or gorge, with high hills and walls of rock on either side. The portion called "The Narrows" only affords room enough for the tracks

HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.

of the Fall Brook railroad for a distance of about sixteen miles by the side of the stream, which at times becomes a wild, dashing mountain torrent. There are no flats of much consequence at the widest points, but the hills usually rise from near the water's edge. After entering Tioga county, within the edge of the Mill creek mountain basin, until it is joined by Marsh creek, when it takes a sharp turn to the south, it cuts across the Mansfield and Wellsboro anticlinal at the point where the axis divides. Its course is one of zigzags, across anticlinals and synclinals, from its course to its confluence with the West Branch of the Susquehanna, two miles west of Jersey Shore. Whilst it is a rapid flowing stream throughout, its principal tribu- tary, is the sluggish Marsh creek.

The lowest point in the county is in the Pine creek canon, where it passes south into Lycoming county a short distance below Blackwells, at the mouth of Babb's creek, which is 833 feet above tide. Marsh creek mouth is 1,106 feet; Mill creek mouth at Gaines is 1,219 feet; and where Pine creek enters from Potter county its bed is nearly 1,300 feet above tide; the summits of the coal-covered mountain tops to the north being over 2,000 feet. Pine creek, from the great water shed it drains, should be called a river. It has a fall of twenty feet per mile for fourteen miles, and is, therefore, a swift current.

Marsh Creek, which unites with Pine creek at Ansonia, is a remarkable stream, with a motion so slow as to be hardly perceptible. It flows through a broad valley known as "The Marsh," the ground being swampy for many miles. Its direction is exactly the reverse of that pursued by Upper Pine creek-as if the waters of Pine creek once flowed up Marsh creek, straight on toward the Tioga river. In fact "The Marsh" extends the whole distance from Pine creek to Nile's Valley, near the north- east corner of Delmar township, where the water from Norris creek flows both ways, part down Crooked creek and part down Marsh creek. It is a remarkable summit, if summit it can be called, which divides the waters flowing down Marsh creek to Pine creek, and those flowing down Crooked creek to the Tioga river. The idea is therefore quite popular, says Mr. Sherwood, among the inhabitants that Pine creek, instead of flowing south through the gorge first described, flowed formerly through the valleys of Marsh creek and Crooked creek, into the Tioga river. And any one who will view the ground will be forced to conclude that such was probably the case, but when or how this great change was brought about is one of the questions that never can be explained or answered. If Pine creek once flowed northward from Ansonia, what a mighty convulsion of nature must it have been that rent the mount- ain asunder and diverted its waters southward through one of the most weird chasms to be found in the chain of the Alleghenies?

Another theory is that a small stream once had its source south of the supposed wall, and, on account of a "fault" in the rocks, as the geologists say, worked a small passage down the mountain. When the breast of the dam was broken, by the tre- mendous pressure behind it, there was such a mighty rush of water down the rivulet that in time the great chasm was cut and the course of Pine creek changed to the south.

There are evidences on the mountain sides, in the form of marine shells, of the existence of water at one time. Enoch Blackwell, a gentleman of keen observation, and who is familiar with this mountain region from boyhood, has no doubt in his

TOPOGRAPHICAL AND GEOLOGICAL FEATURES.

mind of the existence of a great lake at one time, which had its outlet by the way of the Tioga river; but when the barrier was broken the flow of its waters was to the south and the Pine creek canon was cut.

In confirmation of this theory Mr. Sherwood says in his geological report that it "is a curious topographical fact that a dam, fifty rods in length, from mountain to mountain, across Pine creek at the mouth of Marsh creek-such as it might be possi- ble to build, and such as may possibly have been erected for a time by other than human agency, during the glacial epoch-would effect this division." If such were really the original conditions, and they certainly look reasonable, the change may be attributed to that period of our mundane history.

The Cowanesque River has its source in Potter county and flows eastwardly just south of the State line to its confluence with the Tioga at Lawrenceville. The valley through which it passes is one of surpassing beauty and by far the richest and most productive district in the county. There are a number of villages in the valley and there is considerable manufacturing. In its pristine condition this valley must have been an elysian home of the Senecas, where they came to hunt and fish. Reference is made to the valley in the earliest writings, and it is believed that Mary Jemison, the "White Woman," frequently came hither with her Indian family to enjoy the hunt. There are also evidences that Jesuit missionaries were here long before the appearance of the English; and it is believed by some that Moravian missionaries passed through here on their western tours, but there is no authentic evidence to sustain that opinion.

The river drains an extensive water shed and at times carries a large volume of water. White settlers came carly, James Strawbridge probably being the first. Long after whites had settled in the valley Indians were in the habit of coming to hunt and fish, and they seemed loth to leave it. The peculiar name of the river and its meaning has long been a subject for discussion among scholars and writers.

To IIon. Charles Tubbs, of Osceola, belongs the credit of having made the most thorough investigation of the meaning of the Indian name of the river. He con- tinued his investigation for several years. From competent authority he learned that Red Jaeket was once asked to define the word. He replied that it was a Seneca word, and meant "at the long island." On the draught of survey of the State road from Newberry to the 109th mile stone, constructed in 1199, the name is spelled Ga-wa-ni-a-que. This draught is still preserved in the land office at Harrisburg. Compare with this several names defined by Morgan in his "League of the Iroquois," thus: Ga-wa-ni-a-que, at the long island: Ga-wa-no-wa-uch, great island river: Ga- weh-no-geh, on the island; Ga-wch-nase-geh, a long island. Ga-wa, or Ga-weh, enters into all these words as a component part and probably signifies island. So much for analogy.

This not being entirely satisfactory, Mr. Tubbs learned in 1891 that the Smith- sonian Institute was making a systematie study of the Iroquoisdlanguage, and he sub- mitted the word for definition. In course of time he received from J. W. Powell, director, the following: "The word Cowanesque seems to be no other than Ka-hwe- nes-ka, the etymology and signification of which is as follows: Co, for Ka, marking grammatie gender and meaning it; wan for hwe-n the stem of the word o-whe-na, an

HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.

island; es an adjective meaning long; que, for ke, the locative proposition, meaning. at or on; the whole signifying at or on the long island."

This analysis was made by Professor Hewitt, Iroquoian expert. The reader may ask: How does that name apply to this river? That is easily explained. All Indian names were significant and chronicled some characteristic of the thing named. In this case there was, originally, in Deerfield and Osceola, an island in the Cowanesque river containing 1,600 acres. It was over four miles long and of varying width. The remarkable thing about the river to the Indian was this long island. The early settlers dammed the part of the river which ran on the north side of the island, diverting the water into the channel on the south side. At this day what remains of the channel on the north side of the island is known as the Island Stream. It is fed by springs and creeks from the north hill and empties into the river at Osceola. The island is given on all early surveys and it also appears on the Connec- ticut map.

This definition and explanation of the name, Cowanesque, is probably the best and most complete that can be rendered at this late day; and indeed it seems to be sufficiently lucid to satisfy the most critical.

So completely has the island been destroyed that the traveler passing over it would be unaware of its existence, unless informed of the fact. To the Indians it was undoubtedly an important landmark, and on it they pitched their wigwams, in- dulged in their rude sports and dances, and enjoyed themselves in the highest degree.

Minor Streams, which are fully described in the chapters relating to the several boroughs and townships of the county, form the tributaries of the Tioga and Cowan- esque rivers and of Crooked, Pine and Lycoming creeks. The sources of these are either in springs emerging from the sides of the mountains, or in small marshy up- land areas. They flow rapidly, and in times of heavy rains, rise quickly. The public roads leading from the valleys of the larger streams to the uplands usually follow their course, their valleys being dotted with farm houses and the well-tilled fields of thrifty husbandmen.

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS.

From the foregoing it is easy to see that while the mountains of Tioga county rise to a pretty uniform general level of 2,000 feet above tide water, and the broad valleys between roll their surfaces about 1,200 feet or 1,300 feet, the main water channels are cut sharply down to depths of 1,000 feet or even lower. The streams are fed by abundant rains, for the county lies in the rain belt of forty inches. The mean annual rainfall is forty inches. While the mean summer temperature is sixty- three, the mean winter temperature is only twenty-three. The cold, therefore, is pretty severe.

Consequently, the erosion of the surface, through the agencies of frost and rain, has been actively carried on through all ages since the coal era. Dry northwest winds favor radiation and evaporation, carrying down the temperature far below zero. They favor equally the full effect of the sun's rays upon the rock surfaces. The rocks, alternately expanded and contracted, are prepared for absorbing moisture; the frost breaks them up, and innumerable rivulets, periodically swollen, carry off the fragments and grind them into sand and mud. The forest, while it is a protection

THE LAND OF TIOGA.

againet this wear and tear in one sense, facilitates it also by prying the outcrop layers apart with their roots, and every surface, hill slope and mountain steep alike, is slowly but always creeping down towards the water ways.

It is this universal erosion, taking effect upon a large area of exceedingly regular stratification, which explains the beautiful regularity of the parallel ranges of mount- aina traversing the county, and the striking similarity of the broad valleys which run up from the open country of Bradford, westward, into and between the mountains of Tioga. It explains also why these valleys end or head up, each in the form of a wide amphitheater, against the unbroken or undivided plateau of Potter and Lycom- ing counties. It is evident, then, that the mountains of Tioga county have in past ages been much higher than they are now. Mr. Sherwood thinks there is no good reason for doubting that the whole of the coal measures once covered this county. As the coal measures of Pennsylvania, both in the southwestern corner of the State, where more than 2,000 feet of them remain to be measured, and in the anthracite basins, which, in the deepest parts, hold 3,000 feet of them still undestroyed, may have been originally 4,000 feet thick, it seems probable that the Tioga mountains were once as high as Mount Washington.

CHAPTER II.

THE LAND OF TIOGA.

FIRST OCCUPANTS-RUGGED AND ROMANTIC SCENERY-GAME. FISH AND WILD ANIMALS-AN IDEAL HUNTING GROUND-INDIAN PATHS-INDIAN VILLAGES- FRENCH EXPLORERS AND MISSIONARIES-BOUNDARY LINE OF THE PURCHASE OF 1768-THE OLD TREATIES-THE WALKER TRAGEDY-INDIAN CHARACTERISTICS AND PECULIARITIES.

T. IlE territory lying within the present boundaries of Tioga county, Pennsylvania, was originally occupied by the Seneca Indians, and was one of their favorite hunt- ing and fishing districts. Its entire surface was heavily timbered. Pine and hemlock grew in the valleys, on the mountain sides and summits, and largely predominated the hard wood varieties, such as oak, birch, maple, etc., which occupied limited areas, principally upland. The ravines, through which streams of crystal water dashed, were filled with a dense growth of vines, briare and underbrush almost impenetrable, save only to Indians and wild animals. The luxuriant and evergreen foliage of the pine and hemlock cast a sombre gloom over the narrow valleys, and so closely were their branches intertwined and locked in many places, that the rays of the flaming god of day could scarcely penetrate them. Such were the wilderness condition of this

HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.

mountain region. How long it had so existed no white man knew and the aborigines could not tell.

Game of all kinds abounded in this region. The stately elk infested a portion of it, and deer were found in great numbers. Other game, too, was plentiful. The nimble squirrel chattered among the branches of the oaks, the wolf, the fox and the bear roamed among the hills and through the valleys, while the porcupine and the raccoon were found everywhere. The streams were filled with trout and other fish. What more could the tawny children of the forest desire? Nature had bountifully provided for them. They built their rude wigwams on the banks of the rivers and creeks, and at particularly eligible locations they had villages, while in the mountains their hunting lodges were pitched.

In this wild region the aborigines roamed at will, communed with nature, chanted songs of the spirit land and were happy. No white man had yet penetrated their domain; they were uncontaminated by the vices which go hand in hand with civiliza- tion; they knew no guile; those destroying evils-whiskey and smallpox-had not yet been introduced among them. To them ignorance of the world was bliss, and they knew nothing of the folly which accompanies wisdom.

INDIAN PATHS.

Several Indian paths crossed and recrossed what is now the territory of Tioga county. And these trails became important landmarks for the early white settlers, who followed them in their journeyings through the wilderness, and afterward en- larged them for public highways when the county commenced filling up with settlers. Several of these paths came from central New York and were traced along the valleys and streams. From the important Seneca settlement, known to the whites as Big Tree, on the Genesee, main paths led down the Conhocton and Canisteo, coming out at Painted Post, another important point among the Indians. From Painted Post the path ran up the Tioga river, passing near Lawrenceville, Tioga, Mansfield, Canoe Camp, Covington and Blossburg. From this latter point it continued on via Liberty and Laurel Hill, until it intersected the great Sheshequin path running up Lycoming creek, and thence to Tioga Point, on the North Branch. The famous Williamson road afterward followed this path from Trout Run and became a great thoroughfare for early travel. Another ran by Arnot and down Babb's creek to Pine, which it descended to the valley of the West Branch.

Starting from what is now the borough of Tioga, on the river of the same name, a trail ascended the valley of Crooked creek, thence to Wellsboro, and on by the way of Stony Fork to its intersection with the Babb's creek path, down which it passed to the Indian village of Tiadaghton, on Pine creek. It was by this route that Van Campen and his party were taken, to the Seneca settlements, after they were captured on the Bald Eagle, in April, 1782. Although comparatively unknown to the early settlers along the river, because it traversed such a wild and inhospitable region for more than 100 miles, it was really one of the most important Indian trails, and over it many war parties passed on their way to attack the lower settlements during the troublous times of 1778-79. It was by this route, too, that the Senecas would have descended when they threatened to be avenged on the settlers at the mouth of Pine creek for the murder of two of their number by the Walker brothers and Sam Doyle,

THE LAND OF TIOGA.

while they were on a hunting expedition in time of peace. Tradition says that a strong party of warriors really did descend Pine ereek some distance below Tia- daghton, fully bent on mischief, but were recalled by runners after the State com- missioners had appeased the wrath of the Indians at a conference held at Canan- daigua, by promising to do all they could to arrest the Walkers and punish them.

Another important path left the Canisteo at Addison, New York, known as the Tuscarora, and led over the hills to near where Elkland is now situated, on the Cowanesque; thence it bore off in a southwesterly direction, crossing the upper waters of Pine creek, and descended Kettle creek to Westport, on the West Branch of the Susquehanna. Over this path war parties frequently traveled to attack the advanced settlements on the river, and as it led through a dense, wild and gloomy region, it was comparatively unknown to the whites at the beginning of Indian hostilities. It is probable that the war party, which attacked, defeated and captured Van Campen on the Bald Eagle, had entered the valley of the Susquehanna by this route. Van Campen tells us in his narrative that the party consisted of about eighty warriors, and they were descending the river in light canoes. It was their custom to approach the settlements in a body, when, on the appearance of white people, they separated into small bands and spread over the country for the purpose of murder and rapine. This war party discovered Van Campen's boats where they had been tied up, near the Great Island, and taking his trail surprised and captured him the next morning.

As this invasion was made about the close of the Revolutionary War, it is proba- ble that it was a portion of this war party that was pursued by Peter and Michael Grove, and party, and surprised in their camp on the Sinnemahoning and several killed. They had been down in what is now Union county and killed a number of settlers, and were fleeing in the direction of the Genesee country when overtaken.

It is probable that there was also an Indian trail up the Pine creek gorge, above Blackwells, inasmuch as there is abundant evidence of the existence at one time of an Indian village at "Big Meadows," now Ansonia, at the mouth of Marsh creek. This gloomy eanon is now traversed by the Pine Creek railroad.

INDIAN VILLAGES.

The early scouts, hunters and settlers found, in various parts of the county, evidences of the existence at one time of Indian villages. One of these was at the mouth of Babb's creek, where a cleared spot of some extent was found, showing previ- ous cultivation. This was designated as a meadow, and there is a well-defined tradi- tion that a chief, or man of some prominence in the tribe, named Tiadaghton, dwelt here. According to old records, Pine creek, at that time, was ealled Tiadaghton, but there is nothing in any of the glossaries of Indian words compiled by the Moravians to show that such a name was ever applied to any stream or mountain. Heckewelder, who is accepted as standard authority, nowhere alludes to such a name in any of his writings.

We are forced to the eonelusion. therefore, that an Indian bearing this eupho- nious title dwelt at the mouth of Babb's creek, and his name was associated with Pine creek by the whites in order to designate his place of residence, and in course of time the stream came to be known by that title. Among the Indians this great stream seems to have been known as the "River of the Pines," because it flowed from a land

HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.

where this timber abounded in the greatest luxuriance. On the open space, or meadow, at the mouth of Babb's creek, corn was very likely cultivated by the Indians, as the soil was composed of a rich alluvial deposit and was well adapted to the production of that cereal. The fishing being good at this point, offered another inducement for Tiadaghton to establish his wigwam and build up a village around him. Shad ascended Pine creek as far as the mouth of Marsh creek, there being no obstructions in the river in those days to, keep them back. The mountain sur- roundings in this deep and gloomy gorge were sufficiently wild to suit the tastes of the most thorough Indian, and if old Tiadaghton had any romantic inclinations in his untutored mind, he could here enjoy them in the gloomy grandeur of a mountain solitude which is still without a rival in northern Pennsylvania.

As further evidence of a village having once stood here, may be mentioned the finding by the early white settlers of numerous Indian relics, such as flint arrow points and bits of broken pottery. The point, too, was an important one for war parties to tarry for rest when making a descent upon the river settlements; and white prisoners were sometimes taken through this way.

It is mentioned by Van Campen, after his defeat and capture, in April, 1782, by a body of Indians near where Mill Hall, Clinton county, now stands, that he and other prisoners were taken to Pine creek,* which they ascended. At a certain point they stopped, when the Indian hunters went out in pursuit of game, and quickly re- turned, "bringing along a noble elk," which "was soon dressed and prepared for roasting." "The prisoners," he continues, "were allowed the same liberty that was taken by the warriors themselves; they cut from the animal as much fresh meat as they wished, and roasted it on the coals, or held it on the end of a sharpened stick to the fire." Here a prisoner, named Burwell, who was shot through the shoulder, had his wound dressed in the following primitive but effective manner: "Having collected a parcel of suitable herbs, they [the Indians] boiled them in water, thus making a strong decoction, in which they dipped the feathers of a quill, and ran it through his wound." The operation was a severe one, but the inflammation was reduced and the wound soon healed.

Another wounded prisoner, named Henderson, did not fare so well. He had four of his fingers shot off, as he was raising his gun to fire, by a bullet from an Indian rifle. Van Campen says that on the second day of their march he passed him sitting on a log with "a countenance sad and pale," and two Indians standing by his side. He did not go far "before he heard a noise like the sound of a tomahawk entering the head, and in a few moments the two Indians ran by bearing a scalp and carrying a hatchet dripping with blood!"

On resuming their march, Van Campen informs us, "the remains of the elk were divided among the warriors and prisoners, each carrying his portion as a supply against further need." "Pushing up the valley," he continues, "they soon came to the head of Pine creek; thence striking across the country, they reached in half a day's travel, the head waters of the Genesee river." Down this stream they passed until they arrived at the Seneca settlements.

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History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Part 3

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