History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Part 49

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

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CEMETERIES.

The Farmington Cemetery Association was incorporated December 2, 1872. The cemetery owned and controlled by this association embraces two acres of land and was opened in 1854. It adjoins the Presbyterian church. The incorporators were James Beebe, R. H. Close, O, H. Blanchard, Reuben T. Hall, O. L. Butts, George White, James L. Robb and P. M. Close. It is neatly fenced and well cared for. It. has been for nearly half a century the burial place for the families resident in the eastern part of the township.

The Union Cemetery Company of Farmington was incorporated December 5, 1873. The incorporators were Andrew Van Dusen, Edgar M. Stevens, James E. Peters, J. B. Redfield, Carlos H. House, William Welch, A. B. Wright, William Pierce, Willard Cass, E. D. Fish, Charles Edwards, William Van Dusen and Milo Anderson, all representatives of old families in the western part of Farmington and eastern part of Chatham townships. This cemetery, known as the Peters cem- etery, is situated on high ground near the old parsonage. It contains the graves- of many of the first settlers of the township.

The Cemetery Association of North Farmington was incorporated April 13, 1882, by J. W. Teachman, Osceola; Warren Phelps, Farmington, and Rev. Charles Weeks, Nelson. This cemetery is located about half a mile east of the Pleasant Valley church, on the road to Nelson. The land was given by Rev. Charles Weeks and wife. The deed and charter require that the money derived from the sale of lots shall

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constitute a permanent fund, the interest of which shall be devoted to keeping the grounds in proper condition and repair. The first interment was made here in 1851. It was a family burying ground for many years.

The Moury Cemetery, a family burying ground, was incorporated April 20, 1886, by Jonathan and Charles W. Mourie, Daniel Moury, Ira H. Moury and Henry Moury. This was the private burying ground of the Moury family. It was incorporated to preserve it in perpetuity as a cemetery.

Besides these incorporated cemeteries there are several private burying grounds in different parts of the township .. Among these may be mentioned the Gee burying ground, and the Jacob Prutsman burying ground. All the public and private cemeteries are well cared for and contain an unusually large number of handsome marble and granite monuments.

POSTOFFICES AND POSTMASTERS.

The West Farmington Postoffice was established about 1858, the first postmaster being C. H. House. His successors have been Ansel Wright, John Hammond, Rockwell House, Adelbert Van Dusen, Willard Cass and Elizabeth Cass, the present incumbent, who was appointed in July, 1895.

Farmington Hill Postoffice, in the eastern part of the township, was established in 1861. There have been but two postmasters, Reuben T. Hall, who held the office until November 27, 1882, when George White, the present postmaster, was appointed. Farmington Hill Grange, No. 841, which was organized March 8, 1888, meets in a hall near the Farmington Hill Methodist Episcopal church. It now numbers sixty- four members.

Elbridge Postoffice was established in 1883. J. E. White was the first post- master. His successors have been Charles McCallum, J. E. White, Mrs. C. B. Moury, J. B. McCallum, and Mrs. C. B. Moury, the present incumbent. Mrs. Moury also carries on a general store. The office is near the center of the town- ship. Elbridge is also the voting place of the township.

Odle Corners Postoffice, in the western part of the township, near the Deerfield township line, was established in July, 1893. Mary Odle, the postmistress, has kept a store here for twenty years.

CHAPTER XXVII.

ELKLAND BOROUGH.

THE OLD TOWNSHIP OF ELKLAND - ITS ORGANIZATION AND BOUNDARIES-REDUC- TIONS OF AREA - ORGANIZED AS A BOROUGH - ENLARGEMENT OF BOROUGH LIMITS-PIONEER SETTLERS -VILLAGE GROWTH -LATER ENTERPRISES-SCHOOLS -HOTELS-BOROUGH ORGANIZATION AND OFFICIALS-POSTMASTERS-PHYSICIANS AND LAWYERS-NEWSPAPERS-CHURCHES-CEMETERIES-SOCIETIES.

TN 1814 the township of Elkland-now no longer in existence-was organized. Its territory, taken from Delmar township, extended along the New York state line from the ninety-third to the one hundred and fourth mile-stone-a distance of eleven miles. It extended north and south a distance of ten miles, and embraced within its boundaries the present boroughs of Nelson, Elkland and Osceola, all of Farmington, and parts of Lawrence, Deerfield and Middlebury townships. In December, 1816, a part of the township of Lawrence was taken from it, and in Sep- tember, 1822, another portion of its territory went to Middlebury township. In February, 1830, the territory of the township of Farmington was taken from it. Those several reductions confined it to a narrow strip, about eight miles long, from east to west, by two and three-fourths miles wide, from north to south. By an act of the legislature, approved April 10, 1849, its territory was still further reduced by the creation of the borough of Elkland, to which, from time to time, additions have been made. In January, 1857, all that part of the township not embraced in Elkland borough limits, lying west of a line extending through the center of that borough, from north to south, was erected into the township of Osceola, and in December, 1857, all lying east of the same line became the township of Nelson, and Elkland township passed out of existence. By the subsequent extension of the Elkland borough limits south of the Cowanesque river, the townships of Osceola and Nelson both suffered material reductions of area. There is still left, however, a narrow strip between the southern boundary of Elkland and the northern boundary of Farmington township, the western half of which belongs to the borough of Osceola, and the eastern half to the borough of Nelson. Some years ago a movement was afoot to annex this strip to Elkland borough and thus give it and Osceola and Nelson boroughs more symmetrical boundaries, but for some reason the annexation was not made.

PIONEER SETTLERS.

A man named Baker Pierce, who died in 1815, and whose remains were buried in the old pioneer graveyard at Osceola, appears to have been the first settler within the boundaries of Elkland borough. Just when he settled or how long he remained cannot now be ascertained, but it must have been during the earlier years of the first decade of the present century. The next to settle was the Taylor family, who located

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at Barney Hill. This family consisted of Mrs. Permelia Taylor and her three sons, Ebenezer, Philip and Mitchell, who emigrated from the Delaware Water Gap, New Jersey, to the Wyoming valley, thence to Pipe Creek, below Owego, from which place, in 1806, they came to the Cowanesque valley. Ebenezer and Philip soon afterward removed to Osceola. The latter, his mother and his brother, Mitchell, all died before 1815, and were buried at Barney Hill. In 1882, their resting place being disturbed by the building of the Addison and Pennsylvania railroad, Capt. Charles R. Taylor and Charles Tubbs-descendants in the fourth generation of Mrs. Permelia Taylor-removed their remains to the cemetery at Osceola.

It appears that William Courtright acquired title to the land first bought and settled on by Philip Taylor, which, in 1814, he conveyed to Lintsford Coates. The Coates family came early, as early, so it has been stated, as 1806. In 1808, however, Timothy Coates, Sr., acquired the title to 170 acres of land, situated between the lands of Cyprian Wright and those of Amasa Culver, and covered by warrant No. 233, within the limits of what is now Nelson borough, and later he and his son, Lintsford, bought land and became residents of Elkland. The exact year, is, how- ever, difficult to ascertain. Daniel Holiday was here previous to 1810, in which year his son, Daniel, now a resident of Holidaytown, Middlebury township, was born.

In March, 1811, came a colony from Elmira and Southport, New York, con- sisting of Samuel Tubbs, Sr., his sons, Samuel, James and Benjamin, and his sons- in-law, John Ryon, Jr., David Hammond and Martin Stevens. The members of this colony became the owners and occupants of all the land from Barney Hill on the east to the Stull farm on the west, including the Davenport Island and farm on the south side of the river. John Ryon, Jr., and his brother James, settled in the center of Elkland, which became known as Ryonsville. John Ryon, Sr., who joined the settlement later, was the first postmaster of the village, and resided there until his death in 1832. John Ryon, Jr., early became a prominent and leading spirit. He was elected a justice of the peace in 1816, a member of the legislature in 1822 and 1823, and a member of the state senate in 1824. He was the first merchant of the village and its most prominent citizen. In 1848 he removed to Lawrenceville, where he died July 22, 1859. Samuel Tubbs settled on what is now known as the Dorrance farm, and soon became identified with the material growth of the village. David Hammond settled on the old Hammond homestead, now owned by Mrs. C. L. Pat- tison.

The names given are those of the pioneers who settled within the borough limits, so far as it has been possible to ascertain them. In time the village took the name of Elkland, growing steadily year by year. It is now one of the most pros- perous and progressive boroughs in the county.

VILLAGE GROWTH.

As early as 1815 Col. Samuel Tubbs and his sons excavated a mill race around the south side of what afterward became known as Davenport Island, and erected a saw-mill and a grist-mill. Col. Lemuel Davenport, who came about 1820, or soon after, acquired this property and owned and operated the mills. In 1870 they were purchased by Hon. John W. Ryon, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania. In 1885 the grist-mill was changed to a roller-mill. In 1890 the machinery, etc., was re-

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HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.

moved to a site north of the Fall Brook railroad, at the head of Parkhurst street, and the present mill erected. In 1894 a grain elevator with a capacity of 14,000 bushels of grain was built. During the latter part of 1895 the mill was completely remodeled and the latest improved machinery added. It is now a 500-barrel mill, and is one of the best equipped in the State. John W. Ryon, Jr., is in charge. William Martindell is the superintendent and head miller. About 1840 D. B. Schoff erected a water-power saw-mill on the river in the southern part of the village, and operated it for a number of years. It was torn down in 1869 by George Dorrance.

The first store in the village was opened about 1824 or 1825 by John Ryon, Jr., and Robert Tubbs. In 1828 Joel Parkhurst, who had previously been in business with his brother in Lawrenceville, came to Elkland, joined with and later bought them out. He became within a few years, not only a leading business man, but the wealthiest citizen of the Cowanesque valley, maintaining at the same time a well- deserved reputation for liberality, enterprise and public spirit. In 1832 George L. and Samuel Ryon opened a store and continued in business until 1843. About 1833 Timothy S. and David Coates engaged in merchandising and lumbering, continuing until 1854, when Clark Kimball, of Osceola, succeeded David. Other changes oc- curred previous to Mr. Coates' retirement in 1859 or 1860.

As the country became more settled, the village grew slowly, new stores being started, a school house built, a church organized, and such other trade and indus- trial enterprises set on foot as the condition and necessities of the people demanded. In the winter of 1839-40 James Tubbs, father of Hon. Charles Tubbs, of Osceola, and who is still living, taught a school in the village. Recently, in a reminiscent article published in the Elkland Journal, he described this school and the pupils who attended, and closed with the following description of the village:

"""At the time of my school Elkland was a mere hamlet, not even a four corners, as there was no street from Skinner's store to the river. On what is now Buffalo street two families lived-Anson Blackman's and Alvinzi Foote's. Stanley, the tailor, had just occupied the house in which Dr. Rockwell now lives. Martin Stevens, carpenter, and Asaph Johnson lived on the farm where the Postal Telegraph Company's office is, and Benjamin Tubbs on the lower part of the Dorrance farm. The leading citizen was John Ryon. He had been representative and senator, and at the time of my school had a seat upon the bench as associate judge. He gave the land where the school house was built; the land for the cemetery, and the site for the Presbyterian church, which had then been built about one year. His son, John W., has become my most dis- tinguished scholar, having been a member of Congress. Elisha B. Benedict was the physician of the place, and Rev. Octavius Fitch, the Presbyterian minister. Joel Parkhurst, who settled in Elkland eleven years previously, kept a store on the site of the Journal office, and was the postmaster. The mail arrived twice a week at the postoffice. There was no bridge across the river.

LATER ENTERPRISES.

The Elkland Tannery was established about 1851 by James Hancock on the south bank of the Cowanesque river. He was soon succeeded by S. G. Tabor & Son. In 1853 Joel Parkhurst acquired the property, which he continued to own until 1873, when he sold it to Joseph Cornelius. He owned and operated it in connection with his sons until 1893, when it passed into the hands of Proctor, Hunt & Co, of Boston, Massachusetts, Mr. Cornelius retaining an interest in the business. In

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January, 1893, the tannery was destroyed by fire, and rebuilt on the present site, north of the Fall Brook railroad, beginning operations November 11, 1893. The new tannery has a capacity of 600 hides per day and is one of the largest in the county. F. M. Cornelius is the superintendent. The company also owns and carries on a large general store.

Decker & Metcalf's Sash, Door and Blind Factory was established about 1857. They ran it nearly twenty years. The property had various owners afterwards, finally falling into the hands of C. L. Pattison, who removed the plant north of the railroads and incorporated it with the furniture factory.

The Pattison National Bank is the successor of a private bank established in 1867 by Joel and John Parkhurst, under the firm name of J. & J. Parkhurst. In October, 1869, C. L. Pattison was admitted and the name changed to J. Parkhurst & Company. On August 1, 1889, John Parkhurst retired and his son, L. K. Park- hurst, was admitted. The name was then changed to C. L. Pattison & Company. In June, 1890, Mr. Pattison and his wife became sole owners. C. L. Pattison died April 10, 1896. Soon after his death steps were taken to re-organize the institution as a national bank, and on June 2, 1896, a charter was secured for the Pattison National Bank, so named in honor of the deceased financier, which was formally organized by the election of the following officers: Orville Pattison, president; Jerome Bottom, vice-president; W. Burton Foote, cashier; S. A. Weeks, teller, and Orville Pattison, W. Burton Foote, and S. A. Weeks, of Elkland; Jerome Bottom and J. D. Campbell, of Nelson; J. T. Gear and I. M. Edgcomb, of Knoxville, and John W. Hammond, of Osceola, directors. This bank is ably conducted, occupies a handsome building, erected expressly for its use, at a cost of $15,000, and is one of the strongest financial institutions in the county.

The Cowanesque Valley Oil Company was incorporated in July, 1877, the incor- porators being Garrett W. Benson, Olean, New York, and John Parkhurst, Charles L. Pattison, Benjamin Dorrance and J. C. Edwards, of Elkland. An oil well was sunk on the Hammond place southwest of the borough. Oil and gas were both found, but in limited quantities.

The Tioga Telephone Company was incorporated November 28, 1881, the incor- porators being James Horton, Westfield; J. W. Hammond, Osceola; J. D. Campbell, Nelson; Charles L. Pattison, Elkland, and Austin Lathrop, Jr., and G. R. Brown, Corning, New York. The capital stock is $2,500. This company operates a line of telephone in Tioga and Potter counties. In Tioga county it includes the boroughs of Nelson, Elkland, Osceola, Knoxville and Westfield.

The Elkland Furniture Association (Limited) was incorporated March 25, 1882, by Charles L. Pattison, William L. Simmons and Abram Coon, with a capital stock of $6,287.34. Its object was the manufacture and vending of furniture of every description. The plant was installed in ample buildings north of the railroad, and a large business soon built up. In 1890 one hundred hands were employed. The factory was destroyed by fire January 7, 1893. A movement to rebuild was imme- diately set on foot, but was not successful.

The Favorite Folding Chair Company, with a capital of $26,300, was incor- porated May 5, 1883, for the purpose of manufacturing chairs of every description. The incorporators were B. H. Parkhurst, John Parkhurst, L. K. Parkhurst, Richard

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HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.

K. Skinner, J. C. Edwards, C. L. Pattison, of Elkland; E. B. Campbell, of Nelson, and H. F. Evans, of New York. This company continued in operation for several years.

The Elkland Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of toys and novelties, was established in Elkland in January, 1887. F. W. Crandall, the superintendent, is the son of Asa Crandall, known as the maker of Crandall's building blocks and who ran a furniture factory in Covington in 1840. Mr. Crandall was in the same business in Montrose, Pennsylvania, where his large factory burned August 27, 1886, involving a loss of $46,000. His present plant is located in the old chair factory building. From sixty to seventy-five men are constantly employed, the annual output amounting to about $40,000. Toys and novelties are shipped to all parts of the world.

The Elkland Carriage Works was established in the old rink building in 1889, by B. H. Parkhurst, and operated until his suspension in 1893. Over sixty hands were employed, the annual output exceeding $100,000. A factory building north of the railroad was erected in 1890. This property is now owned by the National Advertis- ing Company, who purpose engaging in the manufacture of snow shovels and other articles of utility.

The Elkland Planing Mill was established in 1890 by E. B. Campbell and J. C. Edwards. Since August, 1895, it has been run by I. H. Fields, who employs eight hands. In addition to his planing mill business Mr. Fields engages in the manu- facture of hardwood bedsteads.

The Elkland Foundry was established in 1891 by C. B. Bailey. It was destroyed in the fire of January 7, 1893, and rebuilt in the following spring. It is now operated as a foundry and machine shop by William Wilhelm.

The Elkland Basket Works was established in 1893 by C. B. Bailey and F. G. Bemis for the manufacture of fruit and farm baskets. About seventy-five hands were employed, the output amounting to about $60,000 annually. The plant was removed to Coudersport, Pennsylvania, March 1, 1896.

The Elkland Pure Oil and Gas Company was organized in February, 1896, for the purpose of making a thorough test for oil and gas on lands leased for that purpose. The officers are F. W. Crandall, president; M. G. Fitzpatrick, secretary; A. W. Campbell, treasurer; George C. Signor, R. P. McCann, F. T. Smith, J. W. Ryon, Jr., Jay Beard, J. C. Dulso, G. S. Walker, Charles Cornelius, W. G. Humphrey, C. B. and C. E. Bailey, directors. A well was sunk about half a mile southwest of the village, and gas and oil both struck, but not in paying quantities.

The Elkland Bicycle Club was organized in July, 1894, as a stock company, with B. H. Parkhurst, president; Dr. W. H. Humphrey, vice-president; George C. Signor, corresponding secretary; Fred W. Crandall, treasurer, and Fred T. Smith, secretary. This club owns twelve acres of enclosed ground northwest of the business part of the borough, containing a half-mile track, grand stand, judges' stand, etc. Race meet- ings are held here each season, and state records have been made on this track.

SCHOOLS.

The early schools in Elkland, as in other places throughout the county, were supported by subscription, and until the building of the first school house in 1827,

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were taught in any house that could be secured for the purpose. The year when the first school was opened has not been ascertained, but it was probably as early as 1814 or 1816. Among the first teachers were Henry Womer, Miss Mary Ryon and Harriet B. Wright. Miss Wright, who afterwards became the wife of Ira Bulkley, taught a term of thirteen weeks beginning June 14, 1824, in an old log dwelling house "located where C. L. Pattison now resides." She had eighteen pupils-eight boys and ten girls. They were John, Amariah and Hannah (wife of George L. Ryon) Hammond; Esther Wright (second wife of Ira Bulkley); Elizabeth Cook (wife of Orsemus Rathbone); Willis and Nancy (wife of Brockhurst L. Baker) Hammond; George L. and Harris T. Ryon; Benson, Elizabeth and Charles Tubbs; Maria Coates (wife of Lorenzo Cook); Edward, Charlotte and Hester Buck; Phebe Mascho, who died young, and her brother Charles; and a girl named Rifle, who lived in the family of John Ryon, Sr. Miss Wright's pay for teaching was "calculated at one dollar per week, or one bushel of good merchantable wheat." In 1892 her sister Esther, one of her pupils, who became the second wife of Ira Bulkley, dictated for publication an article which appeared in the Elkland Journal, in which she said:

Elkland, at that time, did not show signs of becoming a village. It had no tavern, nor store, nor shop of any kind-not even a distillery. There was no church in the Cowanesque valley, and the itinerant Methodist ministers who passed this way once in six weeks, held preaching services in some barn in the summer season. John Ryon, Sr., was postmaster and kept the office at his dwelling house, at which the mail arrived by carrier on horseback, once a week (Tuesdays). "John Ryon, Esq.," as my father wrote his name among the patrons of my sister's school, was at that time a member of the state senate, deservedly popular, a most generous and obliging gentleman.

In 1827 the first school building was erected. It is still standing just west of the Presbyterian church and is occupied as a dwelling by James Brocksley. It was built by Rodney Shaw, afterwards a well known citizen of Mansfield. At the raising there was used one and one-half gallons of whiskey, bought of H. Freeborn, of Shaver's Point-now Lawrenceville-for fifty cents. This school house was also used as a church until 1835. It was built by subscription. One of the early teachers here after the adoption of the public school system was James Tubbs, who taught in the winter of 1839-40. In the article already quoted from, he says: "I had no blackboard. My only classes were in spelling and reading. Grammar was not a branch of study in my school. In arithmetic I had no class. Each student began and ciphered as far as he or she could in the science of numbers with my assistance. In teaching geography the same method was pursued. Considerable attention was given to penmanship."

The second school house was built in 1855, and was a two-story frame, with rooms for two departments. In 1876 Joel Parkhurst proposed to give the district a new brick school house, costing $4,000, provided the people would raise a fund of $1,500, to be placed at interest and the interest used to keep the house in order and purchase apparatus. The offer was accepted and the building erected. It ranks as third among the school houses of the county. Prof. M. F. Cass has been principal of this school since 1891, and has proven himself an able, efficient and popular educator.

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HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.

HOTELS.

For some time previous to 1836, a man named Smith kept a wayside inn on the site of the old Case Hotel-now the Sandbach House. In the year named Leander Culver bought it, and became the first regular hotel keeper in the village. In 1851 he built the present building, which has since had numerous landlords, among whom were Charles Ryon, Life Blackman, David Dunbar, John E. Westlake, A. J. Fillman, Peter Duvall, Fred Bunnell, "Sandy" Simpson, A. D. Graves, W. R. Coles and T. D. Case. In September, 1894, after Mr. Case's death, the property was purchased by Mrs. Mary Sandbach, of Wellsboro, who placed her son, Richard E. Sandbach, in charge as manager. The name was changed to the Sandbach House. It is well conducted and popular.

In 1841 D. B. and J. W. Schoff built a hotel near the Dorrance farm. It burned in 1867. In the same year another hotel was built on its site by Enos D. and Leander Culver. About 1871 it was converted into a dwelling, and since 1880 was owned by C. L. Pattison.

The Signor House was built about 1880, Robert Traver being the first landlord. In the spring of 1886 George C. Signor bought the property, and in the summer of 1894 rebuilt the hotel, expending $2,000. The building was thoroughly remodeled inside and out, and is now one of the best hotels in the county. Mr. Signor is a popular landlord and commands a large share of the traveling patronage.

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History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Part 49

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