USA > Pennsylvania > Tioga County > History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations, portraits and sketches of prominent families and individuals > Part 58
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THE PIONEERS.
The honor of being the first pioneer settler in the val-
Mr. Smith further says: " I have not [Governor] Sey- mour's lecture on New York names, but I think he men- |ley of the Tioga south of the State line apparently lies
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THE PIONEER PERIOD IN TIOGA.
between William Holden and Jesse Losey. Captain Buel Baldwin says that Colonel Eleazer Lindsey's settlement on his tract north of the State line preceded by some little time the construction of the Williamson road, as also did the settlement of William Holden on the south side. He remembers to have heard it stated that Colonel Lindsey purchased of the Phelps and Gorham tract a township (six miles square) south of the Erwin tract and north of the State line, and that he sold one-half of the same in New York city to John P. Ryers for the original price he paid for the whole; and that the settlement of himself and his son, the major, was on the 8th day of June, but the year he does not positively remember. As it appears by a letter of Tench Coxe which was written January 26th 1789, immediately after an interview with Mr. Gorham, that no lands of the Phelps and Gorham tract had been sold at that date bordering on the Penn- sylvania line, Colonel Lindsey's settlement must neces- sarily have been between this period and the construction of the Willliamson road, preceding the latter event "some little time." It may have been as early even as the spring of 1789, and it may not have been until 1791. William Holden's settlement is placed after Colonel Lindsey's, and may not have been until 1792. At this period Jesse Losey was certainly here, as he preced- ed the Robertses, and they had preceded the Mitchells, who, there is very positive reason to say, were here in 1793, and very likely in 1792. The writer remembers very well the current report during the life of Jesse 1.0- sey (whom he had the opportunity of seeing often) that he was the first settler in the township of Tioga; but whether it was intended by this statement to include that of Lawrence he cannot say.
After Jesse Losey, in the order of settlement, came Peter Roberts and family, preceding the Mitchells, who came either in 1792 or 1793; next John Ives, and the four nephews Benajah, Timothy, John and Titus. A Mr. Carter and son, Job Squires, Asa Stiles, Stephen Losey, Rufus Adams and sons, and a Mr. Reed were all here in 1794; Jacob Kiphart and family the same year, or in 1795: Thomas Berry and family and probably George Prekay in 1796; Uriah Spencer, Nathan Niles and family and Cobin Van Camp and family in 1797; Dr. William Willard and family in February 1798, and Obadiah Inscho and family in the same year; Rev. Elijah Burley some time before the year 1800; John Elliott and family, Nicholas Prutsman, widow Boher and her daughter Eleanor in the same year, and John Gordon and family in 1800, 1802 or 1803; Major Willian Rathbone probably about the same period; Jacob Prutsman and family, and his brothers Nicholas and Adam, and Harris Hotchkiss in 1804; Benjamin Bentley and family in April 1806, Elijah De Pui and family about the same time, and Eleazer Baldwin and family the same year; James Matteson and James Dickinson before the year 1808, and Captain Lyman Adams on the 4th of July of that year; Ambrose Millard at Beecher's Island in 1810 and at Tioga the following year, and Ira McAllister at the same time; Gershom Wynkoop, Levi Vail, and a Mr.
Youngman and wife before 1812; Allen Daniel Caulking, either at the close of 1812 or the beginning of 1813; Eli- jah Welsh, Timothy Brace, John Nichols and wife, and Aaron Gillette, here at the same period; John Daily at Beecher's Island in 1811, and at Tioga in 1813; Roland Hall about 1815; Ebenezer Ferry and his sons Charles and Chauncey, Samuel Tharp and John S. Allen before 1819; Captain James Goodrich and family in the spring of 1819; and Doctors Simeon and Pliny Power the same year.
The settlements here detailed, from that of Joseph Losey in 1791 of 1792 down to 1820, may properly be called those of the pioneer and primitive period; in which the greater portion of the valley lands extending through the township were purchased by the actual settlers, and were cleared up quite nearly as we see them to-day, and orchards planted, grist-mills and saw-mills erected, two tanneries and one distillery, three public houses, two stores, schools and school-houses established, one church organized-the Baptist-roads very generally cut through, where since they have been enlarged and improved by county authority; and a very general transition from the old original log dwellings to those of the frame and clap- board style, usually a story and a half high, with a large chimney and fire-place in the center, a medium sized cellar beneath, and either a porch attached or an alcove. Paint seemed to be too costly a material for the outside decoration of them, and its use was generally confined to the interior, and in many cases this even could not well be afforded. Enterprise had not been wanting, for most of the settlers were men of intelligence, and some of superior mind; full of health, vigor, spirit and energy for the prosecution of industries and the advancement of both public and private interests. They were men of true faith and courage too, confident of their ability to es- tablish for themselves a competence, and leave to their children lasting and substantial benefits. He who can step into the depths of a primitive forest, look up at the dense and majestic woods around him, lay off his coat, seize his axe and ply it with a vigorous arm at the root of the giant trees, clear them away, and let in sunlight and civilization where once was only a wilderness, is indeed a hero, not only in heart and true manhood, but in the permanent benefaction that he gives to mankind.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.
An act of April 3d 1804-only seven days after the erection of the county itself-provided that the township of Tioga should be a separate election district, " and the electors thereof shall hold their elections at the house now occupied by Thomas Berry in said township." From this act it would appear that Tioga township had been previously established by the court of quarter sessions of Lycoming county, and comprised the whole area of the newly created county, or was contemporaneously made so by that court to suit the purpose of a new election district.
By act of April 11th 1807 another election district was formed in Tioga county, it being enacted that the
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HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.
township of Delmar should be a separate election dis- trict, " and the electors thereof shall hold their general elections at the house of Joshua Emlin." Like the town- ship of Tioga, Delmar was probably formed contem- poraneously with the act, to suit the convenience of a new election district. By the division made Delmar comprised about three-fifths of the county territory on the west, and Tioga two-fifths on the east, the division line between the two being the extension of one drawn varied service in the war of that period. He came to Tioga, accompanied by his wife, in a canoe propelled up the river, either in 1791 or 1792, and settled on the west bank of the stream, on what is now the II. E. Smith and son farm, formerly John Prutsman's. His first dwelling was of a temporary character, made of poles and covered with bark. Once a violent storm came up and blew it entirely down. After the construction of the Williamson road he built a better dwelling on the line of that road from near the mouth of Pine Run, on the west branch, to and moved into it. His wife subsequently died, and she the 93d mile stone of the boundary line. No further was buried on a knoll a little to the north of the gate of the present grounds of P. S. Tuttle, and which is now oc- cupied by the sidewalk. Jesse Losey subsequently sold his " claim" to Benajah Ives, and he and his brother Stephen Losey in 1802 located two warrants in the west- ern part of the township; but that to Stephen never being fully paid up, a patent was issued for the same, June 27th 1873, to William A. and H. H. Goodrich, E. M. Smith and Edward Bayer. These properties were subsequently acquired by William Willard, and the brothers moved into Middlebury township. Jesse died March 12th 1844, aged 85 years, 5 months and 7 days, and is buried in the division of these townships took place until after a full organization of the county, and the establishment of the regular county court in 1813. In February and Septem- ber 1815 Covington and Jackson townships were formed from Tioga, the former including the present township of Richmond, and all the southeastern part of the county, while Jackson (named probably after the famous hero of the then recent battle of New Orleans) comprised a good share of the present area of Rutland and the northeast- ern part of the county. Lawrence was formed in Decem- ber 1816, by another subdivision of Tioga on the north,
added to a small part of Elkland. Thus Tioga, from graveyard near the residence of Daniel Holiday, in that being the original township of the county, was soon sub- divided and reduced to its present limits; but, like the little republic of San Marino, it still remains, and pre- serves at least the integrity of its name!
By act of February 3d 1806 the register and recorder of Lycoming county was required to procure and keep a separate registration of deeds for Tioga and Potter coun- ties; and by act of March 21st 1808 provision was made for the election of three county commissioners, on the second Tuesday of October following, after which the duties of said officers for Lycoming should cease. In ac- cordance with this provision Tioga began to assume con- trol of its own county affairs at the close of 1808 and be- ginning of 1809. All other county officers were then ap- pointed under the constitution of the State by the gov- ernor or county commissioners, except that the sheriff was elective. Nathan Niles was commissioned by Gov- ernor Thomas McKean, January 7th 1808, a justice of the peace for the county; this office was then regarded as one of much distinction, and many people came to see him take the requisite oath and be duly installed-a cere- mony that was performed at his residence, on the spot where is now the home of John Daily.
SKETCHES OF THE SETTLERS.
township. He left some descendants who are living there. The time and place of the death of Stephen are not known to the writer. Jesse was of rather small stature, uncouth in manner and in speech, and consider- ably inclined to the " ardent " habit, which at the period in which he lived was not an uncommon one, and did not much interfere with religious profession or church membership. It is believed he was a Baptist church member, and was a Revolutionary pensioner. His origi- nal occupations were shoemaking and distilling, but he died a farmer.
THE ROBERTS FAMILY .- The next pioneers in order of settlement here were Peter Roberts and his sons John, Benjamin, Peter and Silas, and his daugh- ters Polly, Rhoda, Sally and Betsey. Jacob Kiphart and his sister Betsey thought "him and his fam- ily the oldest settlers, but possibly Jesse Losey was- could not say positively." Hence between the claim of Jesse Losey and the doubt expressed by these two living witnesses his settlement is placed in 1792, and preceding that of the Mitchells by some months, and perhaps a year. It is supposed he came from the same State as did Jessey Losey, and had probably a Connecticut title; but, finding the valley lands in possession of Pennsylvanians by purchase, contented himself with a claim by occu- pancy. He settled on the stream, below Jesse Losey and at the foot of our present New street, and built him- self a comfortable log-house. He was a millwright and blacksmith; and his son Benjamin taught in his father's log house the first school of which Tioga has any record. A few years thereafter a school house was built very near the spot where A. C. Bush's barn now stands, in which
JESSE LOSEY .- In giving brief biographical sketches of the early settlers, Jesse Losey is the first one to whom the attention of the writer is due. At the present day very little seems to be known of his ancestry and place of birth. He was born in New Jersey, or at least came from that State, and his name would seem to indicate German extraction. He enlisted in the continental ser- vice and claimed to have been at the battle of Bunker Benjamin also taught. The family was here as late as Hill (June 17th 1775); also to have been present at 1815-long enough for the father or his son Peter to build a saw-mill on Crooked Creek, at the foot of Bayer Hill, and where the third railroad bridge now crosses the execution of Major John Andre, at Tappan (October 2nd 1780). Hence he must have seen considerable and
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THE MITCHELLS OF TIOGA.
said stream. The family subsequently moved to some point unknown, but it is supposed to Genesee, and finally to Grand Rapids, Mich. Peter and John, the sons, re- turned. Peter married Lydia Power, and the two broth- ers for some time carried on blacksmithing in a shop that stood in the rear of the present William Garretson house. They subsequently moved to Grand Rapids, where Peter at least died, and also his wife, leaving four children, who are now residents there.
THE MITCHELL FAMILY .- The next settlers were Thomas and Richard Mitchell, who came either in 1792 or 1793. Thomas B. Mitchell, brother to Senator John I. Mitchell, thinks his grandfather came in 1792 and be- fore the construction of the Williamson road. At all events he was married August 15th 1792, and his eldest child, Edsall Mitchell, was born at Mitchell's Creek, Tioga township, August 27th 1793, and was reputed to be the first white child born within the limits of Tioga county. The brothers came from Orange, N. J., and stopped one year in the present limits of Southport, Chemung county, removing the following year to Tioga as previously stated, by aid of a canoe up the channel of the Tioga River.
Richard was born July 5th 1769, and his wife, Ruby, October 4th 1771. and their marriage occurred when he was a little over 23 years of age; and as Thomas was the elder brother it is supposed they either came together, or that Thomas came first. Jacob Kiphart says that Thomas came first. It has been said the brothers were for a while on the west branch of the Susquehanna, near Williamsport, before coming to the Chemung; if so it is supposed they had in some way an interest under the Connecticut title, as nearly all the settlers from the east or the New England States who had settled on that river came under that title, and many of them were there as early as 1773 and 1775. They both settled on the Crozier tract, entered by warrant May 17th 1785; and, as this land subsequently passed into the hands of Gen- eral Cadwallader, of Philadelphia, thence into possession of the old Pennsylvania Bank of that city (for which proprietors Michael R. Tharp was first an agent, but sub- sequently John Norris, of Wellsboro), their titles it is supposed were secured to them through the channel named.
The three brothers, Thomas, Richard and Robert- the latter moving to Tioga about the year 1800-all oc- cupied "claims" or "possessions" along the east bank of the Tioga, building log dwellings near to the stream. Thomas occupying the upper or southern side, Richard the middle, and Robert the lower or northern side. Thomas was a blacksmith by trade, and in a few years sold his place to either Rufus Adams or Samuel West- brook, and removed to Dansville, N. Y. John Inscho, grandson of Richard, says there were two other brothers, who resided for a while at Mitchell's Creek, one James and the other John; the former settling subsequently at Chemung, and the latter at Johnstown, N. Y.
Richard and Robert were both farmers, and they very industriously improved their lands, and had good farms
and homes at their death. Richard was born July 5th 1769, and died March 11th 1847; Ruby Keeney, his wife, was born October 4th 1771, and died August 14th 1843. Bobert Mitchell was born on or about July 18th 1779, and died March 18th 1860; and his wife, Abigail Ives died September 25th 1856, aged 78 years.
The brothers were of rather more than ordinary stat- ure, and strong, athletic, vigorous men. Robert was par- ticularly noted for his ability as a wrestler, or in a rough- and-tumble combat, qualities that are common in pioneer life and give distinction to their possessor. At one time -as Buel Baldwin relates-one of the Sly boys of South- port, who had the reputation among his friends of being the best man in the way indicated, having heard of Rob- ert's ability and becoming jealous of it, came up with a party to Mrs. Rachel Berry's inn, and sent a challenge down to Robert. But Robert, like a sensible man, re- mained at home and paid no attention to it. After re- peating the challenge and still receiving no reply, the second morning of their stay the Sly party went down early to Robert's house and found him at breakfast. Sending in word they requested him to come out after breakfast and see who was the "best man." "No," said Robert; "I'll come out now and settle that question, and eat my breakfast afterward." The question was settled in a few minutes, and Mr. Sly and his friends withdrew, a set of sadder but wiser men. At another time a similar incident occurred with one of the Joneses of Addison.
Richard Mitchell had children born as follows: Edsall, August 27th r793; Lovina, wife of John Inscho, August 26th 1795; Nancy, October 2nd 1797, died young; Thomas, August 5th 1799; Richard jr., July 7th 1801; William K., December 4th 1810.
Robert Mitchell had children-Thaddeus, born March 19th 1818, died March 18th 1874 (his wife was Amelia Towner); Parmenia, who is said to be still living, older probably than Thaddeus; and Abby, wife of William Butler.
Of Richard's children Edsall settled in Middlebury at an early day, and has several sons there living. Thomas K., who died August 28th 1861, had children Maryette, "Myra," Solon, Thomas B., John I., Jefferson and Row- ena, all of whom are living except Solon, and the daugh- ters are married respectively to William Sheardown, E. T. Bentley, Micajah La Bar and David Cameron. Thomas K.'s wife, who was Elizabeth Roe, is still living.
Richard Mitchell jr., died February 23d 1878; and his wife, Harriet M. Dartt, born October 30th 1810, died February 24th 18SI. They had daughters Ency, Julia, Helen, Brittania, Anna, Jerusha and Sarah, and a son, Captain B. B. Mitchell, all married, respectively to F. J. Calkins, Joseph Guernsey, Captain Newton Calkins, Al- bert Westbrook, John Demerest, C. E. Corbin, Charles Boyden, and a Miss Pomeroy, of Troy, Pa. William K. Mitchell died September 13th 1870, and his wife, Jane E. Sheardown, September 17th 1880, aged 63 years. They
had thirteen children, nine of whom are still living.
William K., the youngest of Richard Mitchell's sons, was noted for his fondness of the chase-deer shooting,
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HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.
and hunting with hounds. He always had a pack about him, and it was no uncommon thing to see and hear them on the East Hill, and even see at times the deer before the hounds running through the streets of the village, up to about the time of the completion of the railroad in 1840. There used to stand on the land then of James Good- rich, very near the west end of the present bridge span- ning the river at the Tioga railroad depot, a butternut dressing deer; and so many of them were killed and dressed at this spot that the tree went by the designation of the "hanging tree." It has been gone many years, but a portion of the stump still remains. There were cer- tain places along the river designated as "runways," where the deer before the hounds would seek the river, either to ford or follow the course of the stream some distance before leaving it, to mislead or throw the dogs off the scent. When deer became scarce in our town- ship Mr. Mitchell was acccustomed to go every fall, in the season allowed by law, either in the neighborhood of the Strawbridge Marsh, Marsh Creek, or Pine Creek, for a season of hunting, and was usually very successful. At his death he had an estate of wild and cultivated land of some 1,300 acres.
ator. As Senator Mitchell's biography is more specially detailed in that part of this work devoted to members of the bar, it is only necessary to say here, in a general way, that he has represented this and Potter counties twice in the lower house of the Legislature of the State; and the sixteenth Congressional district twice in Con- gress, being elected before the close of the second term to his present position. The studious habits of his youth tree, with a limb of convenient height for hanging and he has carried with him into middle life, and has a mind well stored with solid information, in the use of which he is regarded by the public as just and correct. In the community where born he is esteemed and respected by all, and bears an integrity of character as an official that lifts him above reproach; for, though not extravagant in his expenditures, he has the reputation of being poor rather than brilliant. His first wife was Jeannette Bald- win, daughter of Captain Buel Baldwin, to whom he was married October 3d 1860, and who died November 4th 1870. His second wife was a Miss Archer, of Wellsboro. He has three children by his first wife, Herbert B., George D., and Clara A. The eldest son is now in Da- kota Territory.
Of the sons of Thomas K. Mitchell there was one not previously mentioned-Sergeant Edsall D. Mitchell, who fell mortally wounded before Petersburg, April 2nd, and died April 3d 1865, aged 30 years. He was married to a daughter of Deacon Calvin Reynolds. A daughter of Thomas K .- Ruby K. - died December 28th 1854, aged 21 years. Of the two sons of Thomas K. now living, one is Thomas B., living on Mitchell's Creek, about a mile east of the old homestead farm. He cultivates a farm of 100 acres. He married a daughter of John Boyd, and is at present one of the assistant assessors of the township.
His younger brother, John I. Mitchell, is a member of the bar, and one of the United States senators from Pennsylvania. He was born July 28th 1838, in the old, plain-fashioned brick mansion on his father's farm, erect- ed in 1826, on a portion of the land settled by his grand- father Richard, and close to the original home. This brick house stood alone for over forty years, the only one of its kind in the township; and perhaps its singularity in this respect, as well as some rumor never well defined in the public mind, made it for many years a subject of curiosity and comment to those who passed by it. | Senator Mitchell grew up at this old homestead,
THE IVES FAMILY .- Next in order of settlement were the Iveses, who were here, according to Jacob Kip- hart, before the arrival of his father and family, who came either in 1794 or 1795. Hence the Iveses were certainly here in the former year. They consisted of "Uncle John," as he was termed, and Benajah, Timothy, Titus and John, four brothers. They came from Bristol, Connecticut, and brought with them a Connecticut title, but the dangers accompanying the location of such a title at that time, either on the lower waters of the Tioga, or on the east branch of the Susquehanna, were too great to tempt them in that direction; hence they went to Southport, and stopped there one or two years before en- tering into Pennsylvania. Having heard through the Keeney and Mitchell families of the settlement on the upper Tioga, they moved into Pennsylvania, and settled further up the valley than the Mitchells, both above and below the claims of Peter Roberts and Jesse Losey, and (as had these two) upon the Bartholo- mew and Patton tracts-Timothy at the mouth of Mill Creek, John on the "Lyman Adams place," now the Miller farm; Benajah on the old Berry homestead, Titus probably with one of the brothers above, and "Uncle John" on the present Thomas J. Berry jr. es- tate. They all subsequently, in one way and another, changed their locations. Timothy moved to the H. W. Caulking place, and John to the Henry Stevens place on Crooked Creek. Benajah, the first or second year of settlement, sold his interest in the upper half of his claim to Thomas Berry, reserving the lower half or John Pruts- man place till 1819, when he traded it to Dr. Simeon Power for the northern half of the John Gordon farm, now that of Julius Tremain; and finally in 1829 or 1830 John, or the Henry Stevens place, John having died and been buried in the graveyard close by the residence now occupied by Mrs. Dean Dutton and Jacob Westbrook.
worked on the farm and attended the winter session of the public school. He was early noted for his studious habits and rapid advancement in his studies, and his father at length seut him to the Lewisburg University, Union county, this State, where he re- mained perhaps a couple of terms. He made here the acquaintance of Charles S. Wolfe, a fellow student, whose prominence in the politics of the State for several years past is well known. To this acquaintance, formed he moved on to the farm previously held by his brother at school, and their association with each other in the Legislature of the State, is due the independent support that gave Mr. Mitchell his position of United States sen-
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