USA > Pennsylvania > Tioga County > History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations, portraits and sketches of prominent families and individuals > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95
Such, dear reader, were the characteristics of the pioneers of Tioga county. They laid the foundation of our present prosperity; they made homes for their chil- dren and left a rich legacy for the present generation; and placed in its grasp untold wealth in mineral, agricultural and industrial resources.
CHAPTER III.
ORGANIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY- OFFICERS AND REPRESENTATIVES-STATISTICS.
IOGA COUNTY was formed by an act of the Legislature from the county of Lycoming, March 26th 1804. In 1806 Wellsboro was chosen as the county seat, but courts were not held in the county until 1813, a log court-house having been erected at that place during the year 1812. Previous to 1813 the legal business of the county was transacted at Williamsport, the county seat of Lycoming.
At the time of the formation of Tioga county it con- tained one hundred and thirty families, constituting a population of about eight hundred. Four years earlier (1800) it contained only ten families-sixty white persons and seven negroes -- and had only one road, and the sur- veyors' path of 1786-7, on the boundary line, within its limits.
The increase in the population of the county was very rapid, even before it was organized for judicial purposes and before it had assumed its full franchises and preroga- tives. We find that in 1810 it contained three hundred families and a population of 1,687. From 1810 to 1820 it more than doubled its population. In the year 1806, as we have before stated, Wellsboro was chosen as the county seat, and in 1813 John Bannister Gibson, after- ward chief justice of Pennsylvania, held the first court. October 6th 1814, in accordance with an act of the Legis- lature of March 14th 1814, the county commissioners, Timothy Ives, Hopestill Beecher and Ambrose Millard, divided the county into six districts for justices of the peace, as follows:
DISTRICT.
TOWNSHIP.
JUSTICES.
TAXABLE INHABITANTS.
I
Delmar.
Daniel Kelly.
87
2
Deerfield.
None.
63
3
Elkland.
Dorman Bloss.
79
4 & 5
Tioga.
William Rose.
139
6
Covington.
( Daniel Lamb.
95
Elijah Putnam.
463
The county of Tioga increased in population at a rapid rate. The census of 1840 showed a population of 15,498, an increase of 6,520 in ten years. Wealth and population continued to flow into the county from 1840 to 1850, although the financial condition of the county from 1841 to 1846 interrupted many well planned enterprises. The agricultural and lumbering interests had been de- pressed during the latter period, but revived in 1848 and continued good until the close of the decade in 1850. The superior quality of the Blossburg coal for smithing, steam generating and other purposes had gained for it yearly a wider reputation; the lumber interest of the county had assumed huge proportions, bringing many hundred thou- sand dollars into the pockets of those engaged in lumber- ing; the sandstone of the Blossburg coal region had been utilized and a glass factory established at that place, and the farmer was meeting with a ready sale for his pro- ducts. All business interests in the county were in a prosperous condition at the close of the year 1850, and the population during the decade had increased 8,489, making the total population of the county 23,987.
In order that the reader may have a clearer per- ception of the various localities of the county, which will be frequently referred to further on in this history, it is deemed proper to present a list of the various townships and boroughs in the county, showing when they were organized and from what territory taken.
33
TOWNSHIPS AND BOROUGHS-TIOGA'S PIONEERS.
TOWNSHIPS
FROM WHAT TAKEN.
DATE OF OR- GANIZATION.
Tioga.
Lycoming.
In the year 1808
Delmar ..
Lycoming.
In the year 1808
Deerfield ..
Delmar
In the year 1814
Elkland (this township no longer exists).
Delmar
In the year 1814
Covington.
Tioga ..
February 1815
Jackson
Tioga.
September 1815
Sullivan.
Covington.
February
1816
Lawrence ..
Tioga and Elkland.
December 1816
Charleston
Delmar .
December
1820
Westfield ..
December 1:21
Middlebury
Delmar and Elkland
September
1822
Liberty ..
Delmar and Covington.
February
Shippen ....
Delmar
February
Richmond-
Covington
February
1×24
Morris ..
Delmar.
September
Rutland.
Jackson and Sullivan
February
Chatham
Deerfield.
February
Farmington ..
Elkland.
February
Union-
Sullivan
February
1830
Gaines
Shippen
March
1838
Bloss.
Covington
June
1-41
Mlymer (formerly Mid- dletown).
Westfield and Gaines
Deeember
Ward
Sullivan and I'nion.
February 1:52
Elk ...
Delmar and Morris ..
February 1856
Osceola
Elkland
December 1×54
Nelson.
Elkland.
December
Hamilton-
Bloss. ..
December
Duncan
Delmar. Charleston and Morris.December 1873
BOROUGHS.
FROM WHAT TAKEN.
DATE OF OR- GANIZATION.
Wellsboro
Delmar
Max
1×30
Lawrenceville.
Lawrence
May
1×31
Covington
Covington
May
1-31
Elkland .
Elkland
Max
1850
Knoxville
Deerfield.
1×51
Mansfield
Richmond
February
1857
Mainsburg.
Sullivan.
February
Tioga
Tioga.
February
1800
Fall Bronk
Ward.
August
1864
Westfield
Westfield.
January
1-67
Blossburg
Bloss.
August
1871
Roseville.
Rutland
February 2d 1>76
It will be observed from the foregoing tables that there are twenty-eight townships and twelve boroughs in the county.
The townships of Union, Ward, Sullivan, Rutland and Jackson are located on the highlands or plateaus east of the valley of the Tioga and adjoining the county of Brad- ford. Liberty township is on the tablelands south of Blossburg, and adjoins the county of Lycoming; while Bloss and Hamilton are at the head of the valley of the Tioga, and Covington, Richmond, Tioga and Lawrence are in the valley and watered by the Tioga River. The township of Nelson and a portion of Lawrence, Nelson, Osceola, Deerfield ind Westfield are in the valley of the Cowanesque, all but the last bordering on Steuben county, N. Y. Brookfield is the northwestern township of the county, and borders on Steuben county, N. Y., and Potter county, Pa. Westfield also is bounded on the west by Potter county, as well as Clymer, Gaines and Elk, the last occupying the southwest corner of the county and bounded on the south by Lycoming. Clymer, Gaines, Shippen, Elk, Morris and a portion of Delmar furnish tributaries to Pine Creek. There are also several small streams in Duncan and Liberty which find an outlet in that creek. Delmar and Charleston occupy the central portion of the county, the latter being the watershed between the Tioga River and Crooked Creek. Middlebury is located upon both sides of Crooked Creek, which flows northeasterly and finds an one term.
south of Deerfield, and is the source of Greeks which flow into the Cowanesque and Tioga Rivers.
The reader by referring to the list of boroughs can readily fix their location by observing the townships from which they were taken. This rule will apply to all the boroughs with the exception of Elkland. The town- ship of that name was the fourth organized, and had an extensive territory. It has either been robbed of its domain or has been very generous in spirit, for it is now reduced to the territory within the borough limits. It occupies a position in the very garden of the Cowanesque Valley.
Tioga county was fortunate in its pioneers. Such gentlemen as Benjamin W. Morris, Samuel W. Morris, William Wells and Gideon Wells, from the city of Phila- delphia and the State of Delaware; Elijah Putnam, a relative of General Israel Putnam of Revolutionary fame; William Bache sen., John Norris, Dr. William Willard, Thomas Mitchell, Robert Mitchell, Jacob Prutsman sen., Benajah, John and Timothy Ives, Thomas Berry sen., Am- brose Millard, Elijah Depuy, Ira McCallister, Lyman Adams, Uriah Spencer, Sumner Wilson, Judge Ira Kil- burn, Daniel Walker, Jacob Geer, Micajah Seeley, Aaron Bloss, Peter Keltz, Asahel Graves, Thomas Dyer, James Ford, Hiram Beebe, Jolin Ryon, Curtis Parkhurst, Dr. Simeon Powers, Eleazer Baldwin, Alpheus Cheeney, Gad Lamb, Aaron Gillett, David Miller, Asa Mann, Daniel Lamb, Daniel Holden, Cephas Stratton, Isaac Lownsberry and many others whom we might name were men of character, enterprise and ability, who would have given dignity and standing to any community in the commonwealth. They saw at a glance the possibilities and probabilities of the future. The forests melted away before their well directed blows, and the virgin soil responded bounteously to their agricultural efforts, while the stream and woodland gave up their choicest fish and nieats. The sound of the falling giant of the forest was music in their ears, proclaiming more space for the sunlight and more roods for cultivation. Roads were eut out and improved, and what they could not possibly accomplish themselves they did not hesitate to ask the good old commonwealth to assist in. Sometimes their petitions were not granted, but upon the whole the memorials of the pioneers attracted the ear of the law-making power. They soon had a representation in the Legislature, and sent their best men on this mission. The early members of the State House of Representa- tives were Hon. John Ryon, Hon. James Ford, Hon. Curtis Parkhurst, Hon. John Beecher, Hon. Samuel W. Morris and Hon. William Garretson. Hon. John Ryon was State senator in 1824, and in the Congress of the United States the early members from this district were Hon. James Ford, elected in 1828, and serving two terms; and Hon. Samuel W. Morris, elected in 1836 for
No portion of the commonwealth was better or more
outlet in the Tioga River. Farmington occupies the rolling lands south of the Cowanesque and west of the ably represented than that portion of the Indian territory townships of Lawrence and Tioga. The township of acquired in 1784 embraced within the limits of Tioga Chatham lies west of Middlebury and Farmington and county. We do not pretend that the people of the
4
Deerfield.
1824 1-28
1828
1:30
34
HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.
county were entirely unanimous in their choice of officers; making of canals and railroads that would approach and penetrate her domain. but while there might have been, and probably were, those who were ambitious and aspiring, willing and There will be no point more appropriate for a recapit- ulation of the citizens of this county who have held its anxious to serve the public, fortunately for the county and its development and prosperity those who were offices and have represented it in the Legislature and chosen were able and competent, striving to gain a rep- utation for themselves and the constituents whom they lists follow:
It is astonishing how fast the country developed, with the rude facilities which the pioneer had then at his command. Sawmills and grist-mills were erected on the Tioga and Cowanesque Rivers, and soon the settlers were raising a surplus of grain and manufacturing lum- ber, which found a market by the rivers Cowanesque, Tioga, Chemung and Susquehanna in the southern por- tion of the State. The representative men of the county lost no opportunity of impressing upon capitalists of Philadelphia and the east the exhaustless resources of the county in timber, iron and coal; and it is not claim- ing too much when we state that they were largely in- strumental in bringing about the passage of the General Improvement act by the Legislature in the year 1826. As early as 1796 the great pine forests which skirted the Susquehanna and other rivers began to be utilized. For nearly one hundred years previous they had been re- garded as an impediment to the progress and settlement of the State. In that year thirty rafts of pine lumber, manufactured in the rude saw-mills of those days, floated out of the north branch of the Susquehanna on their way to Baltimore. In 1804 552 rafts, containing 22,000,000 feet of lumber, passed Northumberland; also a large number of boat-loads of wheat, fur, etc., valued at $200,000, destined to the same port-Baltimore. It was, in our opinion, the increasing trade in lumber, grain and other products from the upper counties, and the uncertain navigation of the Susquehanna, that gave rise to the great canal navigation of Pennsylvania. The trade of the upper counties, it will be seen, was enriching the State of Maryland instead of Pennsylvania. The
representatives from Tioga county presented tables and statistics to the members from Philadelphia, giving them a description of the immense trade and traffic which they might secure if a better and safer route or mode of transportation was inaugurated, and thus finally in- terested them in behalf of the measure. The State en- tered upon the construction of canals with great zeal and spirit, and expended about $45,000,000; and, however much their management may be open to criticism, it must be admitted that they proved a great power in de- veloping the agricultural, mineral, industrial and com- mercial interests of the commonwealth. The canals were the pioneers in the development of the State, and laid the foundation of our prosperity, while the railroads have completed the superstructure of our great internal trade and commerce.
Tioga county was largely benefited by them indirectly, and her peculiar geographical position, with her forests of timber and mines of iron ore and unexcelled semi-bitu- minous coal, enabled her also to incite New York to the
represented the State in the national government. The represented.
State Representatives .- "The year of election and number of years' service are given.) John Ryon, 1822, two; James Ford, 1824, two; Curtis Parkhurst, 1827, one: John Beecher, 1829, one; Samuel W. Morris, 1813, four; Tioga and Bradford counties at this time formed a representative district, and in 1835 Dr. Bullock and Israel Myers, both of Bradford, were elected for the district; William Garretson. 1836, two; in 1838 Tioga and Potter counties formed a representative district, and Lewis B. Cole, of Potter, was elected; John Wahlee, 1840, one; Daniel L. Sherwood, 1841, two; George Knox, 1843, two; John C. Knox, 1845, two; N. A. Elliott, 1847, one; Jeremiah Black, 1849, 1851; A. J. Monroe, 1850; James Lowrev, 1852, two; Thomas L. Baldwin, 1854, two; L. P. Williston, 1856, four; B. B. Strang, 1860, two, 1866, four; S. B. Elliott, 1860, two; C. O. Bowman, 1862, one; John W. Guernsey, 1863, two; W. T. Hum- phrey, 1865, two; Jerome B. Niles, 1868, two, 1880; John I. Mitchell, 1871, five; C. V. Elliott, 1876, four; Hugh Young, 1876, one-resigned and Benjamin Dor- rance was elected to fill the vacancy; Charles Tubbs, 1880.
State Senators .- John Ryon, 1824; Daniel L. Sher- wood, who became speaker of the Senate in 1846; John WV. Guernsey, 1852, 1853; Stephen F. Wilson, 1862, 1863; B. B. Strang, 1871-74 (speaker in 1874), 1875, 1876; Charles H. Seymour, 1877, 1878.
Members of the ( United States) House of Representa- tives .- James Ford, elected in 1828 and 1830, served two terms; Samuel W. Morris, 1836, one term; Stephen F. Wilson, 1864, two terms; Henry Sherwood, 1870, one term; John I. Mitchell, 1876, two terms.
United States Senator .- John I. Mitchell, elected in 1881 and the present incumbent.
United States Bank Examiner .- Hon. Hugh Young. Wellsboro.
United States Revenue Collector .- Massena Bullard, Wellsboro.
United States Gauger .- Joseph Maxwell, Blossburg.
High Sheriff's (with residence and year of election.)- Alpheus Cheeney, Elkland, 1812; Simeon Power, Law- renceville, 1815: John Knox, Cowanesque Valley, 1818; Elijah Stiles, Wellsboro, 1821; John Beecher, Wellsboro, 1824; Robert Tubbs, Osceola, 1827; Seth Daggett, Jackson, 1830, resigned, and Francis Wetherbee, of Wellsboro, was elected in 1831; Benjamin Gitchell, Charleston, 1834; John Wakely, Brookfield. 1837; Curtis Parkhurst, Lawrenceville, 1840; J. W. Guernsey, Tioga, 1843; Henry M. Potter, Middlebury, 1846; John Mather, Shippen, 1849, 1855; Henry A. Guernsey, Wells- boro, 1852; Simeon I. Power, Lawrenceville, 1858; Hezekiah Stowell jr., Delmar, 1861; Leroy Taber, Tioga, 1864; Jerome B. Potter, Middlebury, 1867; E. A. Fish, Sullivan, 1870; Stephen Bowen, Morris Run, 1873; D. H. Walker, Covington, 1876; H. J. Landrus, Bloss- burg, 1879.
County Surveyors .- John Norris, 1814-27; Samuel McDougal, 1827-36, 1839-50; E. P. Deane, 1836-39. 1859-63; David Heise, 1850-56; H. S. Archer, 1856-59; D. L. Deane, 1863-65; David Heise, elected, 1865, the present incumbent.
Prothonotaries or Clerks of the Court .- John Norris, 1813; Uri Spencer, 1818, 1824; John Patton, 1821; J.
35
COUNTY OFFICERS-PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
Brewster, 1831; John F. Donaldson, 1836, 1837, 1839.72; 1873, Hon. Mortimer F. Elliott and Hon. Jerome B. A. S. Brewster, 1838; General Robert C. Cox since 1872. Niles, both of Wellsboro.
County Treasurers .- 1808-10, Samuel W. Morris; IS11, Alpheus Cheeney; 1814, B. Thompson; 1815, Benjamin W. Morris: 1817-19, Daniel Lamb; 1822, John Beecher;
lard jr .; 1827, 1828, Levi Vail; 1829, 1830, Elihu Hill; 1831-33, 1838-41, Thomas Dyer; 1834, 1835, John Barnes; 1836, 1837, Archibald Knox; 1842, 1843, R. G. White; 1844, 1845, John L. Robinson; 1846, 1847, A. H. Bacon; 1848, 1849, George Levergood; 1850, 1851, S. L. Hibbard; 1852, 1853, George Knox; 1854, 1855, 1859, O. F. Taylor; 1860, 1861, James S. Watrous; 1862, 1863, H. B. Card; 1864, 1865, A. M. Spencer; 1866, 1867, C. F. Miller; 1868, 1869, H. C. Bailey; 1870-72, R. C. Cox; 1873, 1874, H. Rowland; 1875-77, Thomas Allen; 1878, Thomas B. Bryden died from an accident recorder's offices, together with several from the com- about March 30th 1878 ; 1878.80, Charles F. Veil appointed); 188!, John R. Bowen, the present incum- bent.
The public buildings belonging to the county of Tioga are the court-house and jail, the county poor-house, 1823, 1824, Thomas Putnam; 1825, 1826, William Wil- and an elegant brick and stone building for the use of the register and recorder, prothonotary, county commissioners and county treasurer. We learned some years ago from Hon. John F. Donaldson, who for over thirty-five years was the prothonotary of the county, the causes which led to the erection of the court-house and Henry Rathbone; 1856, 1857, O. H. Blanchard; 1858, former prothonotary's office. He said that during the lat- ter part of the year 1828 the public offices of the county were entered one night and all the dockets and records were taken from the prothonotary's and register and missioners' office. This caused great excitement through- out the county, but no one could divine at the time the object of such a larceny. County Commissioners from 1809 .- 1809.11, Eddy Howland; 1809, 1810, Caleb Boyer, Uri Spencer, George Hart, Nathan Niles; 1812, Timothy Ives; 1814. Hope- still Beecher; 1815, Justus Dartt; 1816, Robert B. El- liott; 1817, John Knox; 1818, Asa Mann; 1819, Elijah Depuy; 1820, John Ryon jr .; 1821, Oliver Willard; 1822, Seth Daggett; 1823, Hiram Beebe; 1824, William Knox; 1825, Elijah Welch; 1826, Elijah Stiles; 1827, James Goodrich; 1828, L. Jackson; 1829, John Cochran; 1830, E. B. Gerould; 1831, Job Geer; 1832, A. Ham- mond; 1833, C. Alford; 1834, George Knox; 1835, Sam- uel Miller; 1836, C. N. Sykes; 1837, P. Doud; 1838, George Levergood; 1839, Buel Baldwin; 1840, Levi Elliott; 1841, C. O. Spencer; 1842, M. W. Stull; 1843, H. H. Potter; 1844, E. Howland; 1845, William Rose jr .; 1846, John Fox; 1847, Israel Merrick; 1848, David Ellis; 1849, Leander Culver; 1850, David Caldwell; 1851, Ansel Purple; 1852, Benjamin Vandusen; 1853, Austin Lathrop; 1854, O. B. Wells; 1855, D. G. Stevens; 1856, C. F. Culver; 1857, John James; 1858, L. D. See- ley; 1859, Amos Bixby; 1860, A. Barker; 1861, 1867, 1870, Job Rexford; 1862, 1863, C. F. Miller (appointed vice A. Bixby, deceased ; 1863, Myron Rockwell; 1864. E. S. Seeley; 1865, 1872, E. Hart: 1866, 1869, R. Van Ness; 1868, M. W. Wetherbee; 1871, T. O. Hollis; 1873, L. B. Sheives; 1874, E. Klock; 1875, I. B. Smith, E. J. Purple; 1875, 1878, N. A. Elliott; 1878, A. O. Smith; 1878, 1881, James E. Peters; 1881, C. M. Rura- sey and John J. Reese. It finally leaked out that it was a project to procure the release from the penitentiary of an individual who had been convicted of grand larceny and sent from this county. The difficulty was to trace the theft to the individuals who had committed it. There were no professional detectives in the county, but as nearly every business man was interested scores of them dropped all other pursuits and entered with energy into every scheme calculated to unravel the matter and bring the perpetrators to justice. Numerous arrests were made, and an investigation was commenced before a magistrate at the village of Tioga, which lasted for weeks and was attended by a crowd of people, many of whom were led there by curiosity alone and many others from a desire to discover and bring to punishment the culprits, as also to reclaim the lost records. Among others arrest- ed for the crime was an individual then residing in the eastern part of the county, long since dead, who though not one of the real perpetrators had cognizance of the plot. He was induced by a promise of full pardon and release to give such information as would lead to the re- covery of the stolen books. By his direction they were found in the woods, where they had been concealed in a hollow log, about a mile east of the court-house, some time in February 1829, having remained there some three Registers and Recorders .-- 1821, William Bache; 1824, Uri Spencer; 1831, B. B. Smith; 1836, Luman Willson; 1845, 1851, James P. Magill; 1848, John N. Bache; 1854, W. D. Bailey; 1860, Henry S. Archer; 1866, I). L. Deane; 1875, George C. Bowen, the present incumbent. months. The persons who committed the offense were never apprehended, but several who were supposed to be connected with the plot were indicted for conspiracy. After much delay the indictments were quashed in conse- quence of some informality in the proceedings and
County Superintendent of Schools .- The act creating the office of county superintendent of schools was passed in 1854. Since that time six gentlemen and one lady have through the ingenuity of able counsel, of whom the Hon. discharged the duties of this office, viz .: Rev. N. L. Reynolds, Rev. J. F. Calkins, H. C. Johns, S. B. Price, Elias Horton jr., Miss Sarah I. Lewis and M. F. Cass. Prof. Cass is the present incumbent.
Judges of the Court of Common Pleas and Oyer and Terminer .- Robert G. White, president judge, 1851-71; Henry W. Williams, additional law judge, 1865-71, presi- dent law judge since 1871; Judge Stephen F. Wilson, the present incumbent, appointed additional law judge in 1871, and elected in 1872.
Ellis Lewis, afterward chief justice of the State, was one. The purpose in taking the books failed, but the theft oc- casioned an expense of several hundred dollars to the county. This excitement was not void of beneficial re- sults. It awakened the people of the county to the necessity of erecting safer depositories for the public records.
The court-house was built in 1835, of Tioga county sandstone, and after a lapse of forty-seven years the hand of time has scarcely made an impression upon
Members of Constitutional Conventions .- 1837, Hon. Robert G. White, of Wellsboro, who was assigned to the committee which had Article I under consideration ; it. Neither the frosts of winter nor the heat of summer
36
HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY.
have had any visible effect upon its walls. The jail and sheriff's rooms are of brick and stone and are deemed strong and substantial.
The new county building for the accommodation of the register and recorder, prothonotary, treasurer and county commissioners is a structure composed of pressed brick and trimmed with Round Island sandstone and galvanized iron. It is located a few feet south of the court-house, facing the public square at Wellsboro. The edifice is two stories high, supplemented with a tower. It is about 57 feet square upon the ground, and divided into four principal rooms, two on the first floor and two on the second. The rooms on the first floor are occupied by the register and recorder and the prothono- tary, and are fitted up in an elegant and convenient man- ner for the use of these officials; the floors are of marble. The county commissioners and treasurer occupy the rooms on the second floor, which are also suitably fitted and well adapted for their use. The entire building is heated by a furnace located in the cellar. Its construc- tion was commenced under the direction of Colonel N. A. Elliott, O. A. Smith and J. E. Peters, with Leonard Harrison as their clerk, in the summer of 1881; and was completed under the present board of county commis- sioners-J. E. Peters, J. J. Reese and Charles M. Rum- sey-in July 1882. It is a model of convenience and good taste, as well as strong and durable, and reflects credit upon all interested in its construction.
The county poor-house is a large three-story brick building, with an L of wood, for the use of the superin- tendent and keeper These buildings, together with a number of out-houses or barns, are located about two miles east of Wellsboro, near the old State road, on a farm of about 160 acres. A number of the insane poor of the · county are confined in a small wooden structure a few feet west of the main building.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.