USA > Pennsylvania > Warren County > History of Warren County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers > Part 67
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E. S. and E. Sunderlin, brothers, moved from Poultney, Vt., to Mckean county, Pa., in 1853, where they built large mills. In 1866 they came to Cory- don, kept a large store until 1873, and after that was burned began operating the saw-mill and handle factory, the most extensive in Corydon.
The Village and its Business .- The grading of the B., N. Y. & P. Railroad was begun in 1881, and the road was opened in the following year. Strange as it may seem to the casual sojourner in the village of Corydon, it is a fact
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that the material growth of the village has much more than doubled since that event, and, indeed, it is said by good authorities that there was practically no village in the township to speak of. The oil excitement and the railroad have made it what it is in quick time. Before that for a number of years the only merchant in town was Jay White, excepting William McCollister, who had the same grocery business two years previous to the opening of the road that he has now. Mr. White had kept a store, as will be seen by reference to his bio- graphical sketch in other pages, since 1870, in a building since torn down, which stood on the corner opposite the hotel. E. S. and E. Sunderlin were trading here in 1870, as stated a few lines before. While the railroad was in process of construction, Nelson Mead purchased the site of the present office of Mr. White, and opened the store he still occupies. Next was opened, in 1882, the hardware store of W. Rolland, who soon sold out to C. H. Whitaker, and Whitaker to E. Price & Co., and they to J. M. Turney, the present occu- pant. Then was opened the grocery of Clendenning & Hale, who sold out to A. F. Kilburn. The building is now used by P. B. Canfield & Son, druggists, who purchased the building of J. and S. C. Williams. C. H. Clawson came soon after and opened a store in the building now occupied by J. E. Reynolds. Mr. Clawson removed to his present quarters in October, 1885. On the first of October, 1884. Joseph Green bought the stock and rented the store build- ing of Jay White. In 1885 he built a store of his own, which he still occupies. In the fall of 1885 S. C. McClintock opened a furniture store in a building be- longing to Mr. White, and still occupies it. In the spring of 1886 E. Price and K. T. Jaquay opened a grocery under the firm name of Price & Jaquay, and are still conducting the business.
A stave-mill was operated here three or four years by people from Frews- burg, N. Y., who quit the business about the time that the railroad was opened. The Jamestown Wood l'ulp Company started here in 1881, and closed up their business after about three years of operation. In 1881, also, was started here a spoke factory, by Stedman & .Aldrich, of Randolph, N. Y. They did not have much business at first, but in 1882 Messrs. White & Jaquay purchased the in- terest of Mr. AAldrich. After two years they dissolved partnership, Mr. White taking the building and lot, which he still holds. The machinery and power were purchased by the Corydon Spoke Company, and under this arrangement the business is still prosecuted, the partners being Benjamin Crooks, F. M. Williams, and N. J. Whitcomb. In the spring of 1885 they added planing and matching machinery. The works are in the south part of the village.
In 1881 a handle factory was opened by Sunderlin & Payne, who still keep it in operation. The products of this factory at first were broom, fork, and rake handles, and dolls, but latterly ax helves, pick handles, etc., are produced in more abundance.
F. J. Morrison, son of Abel Morrison, is now operating a well-to-do saw-
% LITTLE PHILA.
Jay White
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CORYDON TOWNSHIP.
mill in the southern part of the village. Whitcomb & Knapp have been oper- ating a shingle-mill for some three years or more, which was built forty years ago and more. Mead & Son are operating two mills for the manufacture of railroad ties. T. J. & E. J. Reynolds also have two mills for the same pur- pose, and have been for a number of years engaged in this occupation.
As stated in a previous paragraph, Dr. Benjamin Blodgett was the first physician in the township. The one of longest practice now in town, although living across the river, is Dr. Peter Hollister, who has practiced extensively in this part of the country for a quarter of a century or more. Dr. A. A. Baker, eclectic, has practiced here a little more than three years.
Hale's Hotel was built by Jacob McCall not long after the formation of the township. Samuel Boyer kept it for some time, and was succeeded by Joseph McCollister, who entertained the traveling public for many years with good satisfaction. The present proprietor, Joseph H. Hale, came into this house on the first day of October, 1885, and has entirely renovated, refitted, and rebuilt it. He has enlarged its capacity so that there are now forty-five beds in the house for guests.
Dr. Benjamin Blodgett was probably, from all that may be learned, the first postmaster in Corydon township. He was succeeded by many incum- bents, among them being Amos Patterson, Ellis Gamble, William Case (Boli- ver Case attended it for a time), Ellis Gamble, C. P'. Bailey, Erwin Sunderlin, Jay White, and the present postmaster, Frank Wells.
Educational and Ecclesiastical .- We have before stated that the first school-house was built and the first school taught by Sabra Blodgett, in the winter of 1827-28, the building being constructed 16 by 20 feet, of two-inch plank placed horizontally, and for want of nails dovetailed at the corners. In 1831 a more substantial structure was erected and paid for by subscription. Some years later another school was established in the lower part of the town. There are now two districts in the township, separated by a strip of timber. The present school-house in Corydon village-a good one-was built in 1883 at an expense of about $2,500. There are two departments. The principal is Thomas Firth, and the assistant is Miss Emma Price. It is stated that the attendance is about ninety.
Although the Methodist Episcopal denomination have had a church organ- ization here for many years-almost from the beginning of the history of the township-they worshiped in school-houses, and were under the care of min- isters from other parts of the county until recent years. The present edifice, the only one in town, was begun in the spring of 1883, and dedicated on the 26th of August, 1886. It cost about $3,000. The present pastor is Rev. S. Dimick, though the construction of the church was commenced under the pas- torate of the Rev. D. M. Carpenter, who was followed by Rev. William Bran- son. Mr. Dimick resides at Kinzua. The church now has a membership of
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about thirty. The trustees are: President, Joseph Green ; secretary, F. R. Case ; treasurer, Jay White ; and the Rev. William Branson and T. P. Jaquay. Mr. Dimick is the Sabbath-school superintendent, and M. H. Wilcox his assistant.
CHAPTER L.
HISTORY OF PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP.
T HE township of Pittsfield was formed from the old townships of Spring Creek and Brokenstraw. The report of the commissioners appointed by the court is dated June 5, 1847, but the order confirming the report is not on record. The township, as now constituted, is nearly a parallelogram in form, extending at greater distance north and south than east and west, and lies west of the center of the county, being south of Freehold and Sugar Grove, west of Brokenstraw and Deerfield, north of Deerfield, and east of Eldred and Spring Creek. The township derived its name from Pittsfield, Mass., from which a number of the most prominent pioneers emigrated hither. Broken- straw Creek flows through the township and both Garland and Pittsfield vil- lages, in a general easterly direction, and with the Little Brokenstraw Creek, which flows into the Brokenstraw at Pittsfield village, from the northern part of the township, and several smaller tributaries of that stream, furnishes the natural drainage of this part of the county.
Early Settlements .- Notwithstanding the comparative recency of its forma- tion, Pittsfield township was settled at a very early date. This is owing to the opportunities offered to the enterprising lumberman of early times by the heavy growth of timber hereabouts and the ease of transportation afforded by the Brokenstraw. The first settler on the territory now comprised within the limits of Pittsfield township was certainly Robert Andrews ; at least, he was the first one who settled here with an idea of remaining, and the first who did remain any length of time. Several years previous to the dawn of this century he came across the Ohio River from Wellsville, O., and thence to the mouth of Little Brokenstraw Creek, where he erected either the first or second saw- mill in Warren county, the first honor being contested by the Mead brothers, of Brokenstraw. As early as 1820 he removed to Steubenville, O., after sell- ing his mill property to two of his sons, James and Arthur. A few years later he returned as far as Spring Creek, where he died at an advanced age. He was a justice of the peace here for several years, and was a prominent man. His sons, Moses, Arthur, James, and Robert, the first named of whom now
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lives in Garland, were all prominent men in later days, though even the day of their strength began early. They all have children in town now and are well represented.
The following named men were settlers in Pittsfield, as it now is limited, previous to 1806, and were mentioned in the first tax list of the county, pre- pared in that year :
Robert Bonner lived here from that time, or earlier, until his death, not far from the year 1840. He was a bachelor, and lived on a farm just east of the site of Garland. His brother James, at this time also a bachelor, lived near him at a later date, although at this time he was operating a saw-mill and grist-mill in Spring Creek. Both of the brothers were well educated, both were good business men, and both acquired a good property. James married many years after the time of which we are writing, and reared a family of three daughters and two sons. Both sons, John and James, and one daughter, are now residing in Pittsfield. James Bonner, sr., is said to have died some twenty-five years ago.
Joseph Goodwin lived in 1806 at what is known as the Dugway, in this township, where some of his descendants are now living.
Samuel Ford, a bachelor, lived a short distance east of Pittsfield village for a great many years, and until his death a number of years ago. He lived with his brother, Obed Ford, who survived him a number of years. The place is now in the hands of William Shutt, who married a daughter of Obed Ford. John Ford, now residing in Pittsfield, is a son of Obed Ford, and married Je- rusha, daughter of Mark C. Dalrymple, who, we shall soon see, was one of the most prominent men ever in this part of the county.
William Adams lived near the mouth of Little Brokenstraw, and engaged quite extensively in lumbering. He moved away many years ago.
Stout Chamberlain settled on the Little Brokenstraw about three miles above Pittsfield village. He was appropriately named, for he was a man of gigantic stature, and used his strength well in clearing his place, which is now occupied by Almyron McIntyre. The apple trees which Stout Chamberlain set out are still in life, and bear fruit. Mr. Chamberlain was a man of great energy, but did not take much interest in public matters. He reared some- thing of a family here, but moved away previous to 1820.
William Carpenter lived in the western part of what is now Pittsfield town- ship, previous to 1806, near the site of Garland, where he cleared and culti- vated quite a farm. He was a Revolutionary soldier, it is said, and was a man of rough, brusque manners, though not evil-hearted. He was very enterprising and industrious. He died, probably previous to 1820, and was succeeded on his farm for a time by his son George. There are none of the family now in town.
Richard Cunningham lived, in 1806, on a farm about a mile above the
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
present residence of Hugh Long, in the western part of the township. He went away as early as 1815.
James Justice settled on the Little Brokenstraw about a mile above Pitts- field village, on the farm now occupied by John Mead. He made quite a clearing, but went away as early as 1810 or 1812, and for a number of ycars the land ran to waste. John Justice was his son, and removed from this part of the country with his father.
George Long was born in Martinsburg, Va., early enough to take an active part in the War of the Revolution, and to witness the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. About the year 1796 he settled some six miles above the site of Garland, in Spring Creek, where he built and operated a saw-mill. About 1811 or 1812 he removed to the western part of the present township of Pitts- field, and built another saw-mill, where he spent the remainder of his life. He also owned about two hundred acres of land, and though he at first confined his attention principally to lumbering, he afterward cultivated a good part of his land. Hugh Long, who now lives in Pittsfield township, is the son of George and Isabel Long, and was born in what is now Spring Creek township on the 2d of February, 1802. He has lived in Pittsfield township ever since coming with his father, nearly eighty years ago. He reared a family of three daughters and two sons, all but one son of whom are living. Daniel Long resides with his father.
John Long, a single man, and a brother of George Long, was here in 1806, or rather in Spring Creek, and afterward here for a short time, but did not remain a great length of time.
John Miller, who married a daughter of Robert Andrews, had settled near his father-in-law, at the mouth of Little Brokenstraw. He was engaged quite extensively in the lumber trade, but removed to Ohio, probably as early as 1815. None of his descendants are now in Pittsfield.
Daniel McQuay owned for several years previous to 1806 about 400 acres of land just west of the site of Pittsfield village. He was one of the best pilots on the river, and frequently went down the river on rafts and boats with lum- ber as far as New Orleans, walking back. He was one of the earliest settlers in town, and was probably on this place very soon after Robert Andrews came to the mouth of Little Brokenstraw. Ile reared quite a family, but dicd here before 1825, and his descendants, so far as known, have gone to other parts.
Hugh McGuire was a settler before 1806 on a farm about three-fourths of a mile west of Pittsfield village. Like McQuay and many other early settlers, he combined farming and lumbering, and often pilotcd rafts of lumber down the river. He was a very hard-working man, and was prominent for the zeal with which he minded his own business, and refrained from interfering with the affairs of others. He was a soldier of the War of 1812, and was stationed with the forces at Erie. His death occurred here probably thirty-three or
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PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP.
thirty-five years ago. His two sons, James and H. I. Maguire (as the name is now spelled), and three daughters, Mrs. W. E. Stright, Mrs. Polly Langley, and Mrs. John Wilson, are now residing in Pittsfield township.
William McClain was an early farmer, and to some extent a lumberman, who lived, about the beginning of this century, on a farm a mile west of Pitts- field village. He was a quiet, industrious man, with a large family, none of whom are now living in this township. John and George Long purchased his farm and property about 1815 or 1816, immediately whereupon he moved down the river.
Joseph Gray owned a saw-mill thus early on the site of Garland. Not long after the period of which we are writing, however, he removed to Irvin- ton, or its site, and later still went to Warren, where he died a short time pre- vious to 1825. His daughter, Eleanor, became the wife of Hugh Long in 1826, and died in this township in 1847.
Giles White was a farmer living about three-fourths of a mile east of Gar- land, where he died of the camp fever epidemic of 1813. He was a hard work- ing man, and was the right sort of a pioneer to improve the condition of the community, both materially and morally. He had a family of five sons-Dodd, William, Samuel, James, and Harry, all of whom remained until their deaths in this township, and the children of whom are yet in Pittsfield.
Among the settlers who arrived in Pittsfield between the years 1806 and 1816, when another tax list was made out, the following were probably the most prominent : Stophiel Gearhart settled on a part of the same farm, afterward added to the possessions of Hugh McGuire. He was a Dutchman, a married man, and the father of one child, named Polly. He went out of the county into the Oil Creek country at an early day.
James Darling was a millwright, and came here from Staten Island. His first work was the construction of the mill of George Long, in Pittsfield. He soon afterward went to Kinzua, and left no descendants in this township.
Paul Huffman lived nearly a mile east of Pittsfield village, having an in- terest in a saw-mill near his farm. He remained on this place until his death not many years ago, and a number of his children are now living in Pittsfield and other parts of the State. His brother, Jacob Huffman, lived down the Brokenstraw in Brokenstraw township.
Cookson Long, brother of Hugh, worked in his father's mill about this period and for some time afterward. About 1859 or 1860 he went to Michi- gan, where he died soon after.
Samuel Moore lived a short distance west of Garland. He engaged suc- cessfully in farming until his death, only ten or fifteen years ago. He was a man of quiet and industry. One son, William, and several daughters now re- side in Eldred township.
Robert Prather settled on the Brokenstraw a little more than a mile east of
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
the site of Garland, and erected a saw-mill on his place the same day that George Long began his mill in this township. Before many years Prather sold out to James and Harry White and went down the river.
Thomas Page lived about three miles from Pittsfield village on the little Brokenstraw. He was a farmer and a brother-in-law of Daniel Horn. He died on this place twenty-five or thirty years ago, and the home farm is now in possession of his son Richard.
Jesse Sims was a pilot on the river and was a locomotive genius. He stayed as long near the site of Garland as anywhere, and at the time of his death, some twenty years ago, lived in Spring Creek.
John Tuttle lived in Sugar Grove, but had an interest in the Prather mill, and. is therefore mentioned in the tax list for Brokenstraw. He is mentioned in the history of that township.
Pittsfield Village .- The village of Pittsfield owes its origin to a man who has not been named yet, for he was not a setttler at so early a date as we have been considering-Mark C. Dalrymple. He was a native of Connecticut and a brother of Clark Dalrymple, one of the first settlers of Sugar Grove. His daughter, Mrs. Julia Acocks, now residing in Pittsfield village, is authority for the statement that Mark C. Dalrymple took up the tract now occupied by the Dalrymple family of Sugar Grove, and allowed his brother Clark to have the land in consideration of his care of their father and mother, whom he had gone to Connecticut for and brought back with him. About 1812 or 1813 he bought a hundred-acre piece of land a mile east of Irvine, on which he built a large house for a hotel. He afterward rented this property to Luke Turner. Mean- time Mr. Dalrymple, who was nothing if not speculative, and whose enter- prising mind was eager to reach out in all directions for business, had purchased the farm including the present site of the Pittsfield House, and in 1829 moved here with his family. He confined his attention to the clearing and cultiva- tion of this farm until 1832, when he built the first (story and a half) hotel on the site of the present hotel, and began to entertain travelers for a considera- tion. On the 26th of November, 1835, James L. Acocks married Julia, daugh- ter of Mr. Dalrymple (she being then but a little more than fifteen years and four months of age), and for two years after their marriage he continued to engage in his trade of wagon-making in Youngsville. In 1837 Mr. Acocks bought the hotel property in Pittsfield and removed here. He kept the hotel until it burned in 1853. He then rebuilt it as it now stands and kept it until his death on the 5th of August, 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Acocks had three sons- Oliver Perry, Thomas L., who died in the army in 1862, and N. L., who was born on the 14th of March, 1853, and now manages the hotel business for his mother. Since the death of her husband, with the exception of two years when she rented the property, Mrs. Acocks has kept the hotel. She has thus been cither wholly or partly manager of a hotel for fifty years in succession.
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PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP.
If by the erection of the hotel Mr. Dalrymple formed the nucleus of the future village of Pittsfield, Mr. Acocks gave it its shape and name. He was from Pittsfield, Mass., and succeeded in giving the post-office, which was estab- lished here at his solicitation and under his care as postmaster, the name of his birthplace. He and Mr. Dalrymple laid out the village into lots. For sixteen years after his appointment, which was soon after his arrival, Mr. Acocks con- tinued to act in the capacity of postmaster.
Mark C. Dalrymple died on the 28th of April, 1873, aged eighty-four years and sixteen days. He had been twice married, and his first wife, Phebe, died on the 16th of September, 1841, aged forty-nine years ; his second wife, Eliza, died on the 16th of October, 1865, aged sixty-five years. David Dalrymple, father of Mark C., died on the 22d of August, 1840, aged seventy-eight years. He was a soldier of the Revolution, and lies buried in the cemetery at Pitts- field village. His wife, Jennette, died February 10, 1839, aged seventy-seven years. Mark Dalrymple bears the distinction of having been the first sheriff of Warren county, and of having been one of the most prominent and respected men in the county during his period. His son, David R. Dalrymple, is now a resident of Pittsfied village, and has been justice of the peace for a quarter of a century. His abilities, as well as his experience, qualify him completely for the office, or a higher one.
Previous to the naming of the post-office by Mr. Acocks, the village was universally known as " The Corners."
When Mr. Dalrymple came to this town in 1829 there was no village here, to speak of. There was only one house on the site of the business portion of the village, and that was of logs and was erected by Mr. Dalrymple near the middle of the present north and south street, and on the south side of the street that leads east and west. The north and south street was not then opened. There was no store nearer than Youngsville, and much of the trad- ing was done in Warren. At that time Robert Andrews, jr., was operating the mills at what is now Garland. There had been an old mill on the rise of ground north of the site of the Pittsfield House, which had then but recently burned. About one and a half miles north of the site of Pittsfield village was a saw-mill owned and operated by Chester Bills. Another old mill between Pittsfield and Garland, as they now stand, belonged to George Long. Half a mile east of Pittsfield stood the Mckinney mill, so called probably because it was owned by John McKinney, of Brokenstraw. A few years after this time the lumber business became prominent, beyond the power of conception of the younger portion of the population of to-day. Mrs. Acocks has often, she says, prepared breakfast for 150 raftsmen, during the high water season.
The first store in Pittsfield village was opened and kept by James L. Acocks, not far from 1840, in the little building now standing at the rear of I. A. Whit- ney's store. After a number of years he sold out. In 1862 his son, O. P. 37
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
Acocks, opened a store in the same building, enlarged, and continued there for nearly fifteen years.
More than thirty years ago, Wetmore, Ludlow, Whitney & Robinson built the store building now occupied by Ayers & Stright. About 1858 or 1859- according to Mrs. Acocks-they were followed by Ezra Chaffee, who, after a few years, built the store now occupied by l. A. Whitney. Soon after he sold his goods to his son, Clarence Chaffee, and his brother-in-law, Moody Watson, who kept store there several years. Ezra Chaffee then sold the building to Mr. Whitney. The extensive mills now owned by James, Darsie, Percy, and George McGrew, under the name of McGrew Brothers, were completed in 1856 by A. H. Ludlow & Co., consisting of A. H. Ludlow, L. D. Wetmore, Elisha Robinson, and A. Kingsley. McGrew Brothers came to Pittsfield to engage in oil operations during the early oil excitement of twenty years ago or more, and have since then engaged in lumbering.
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