USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne County [Pa.] > Part 14
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
Truman Wheeler was of another family. He set- tled on the north and south road below Belmont. He was a man of education and for many years a justice of the peace. He removed to the West.
Aaron G. Perham was assessed in 1818 with one hundred and sixty acres of land, with buildings and appurtenances, situated south-east of the Bigelow lake. This is supposed to be the farm now owned by S. G. Perham.
The persons above named, whose places of nativity are not mentioned, were natives of the Eastern States. Joseph Monroe, a native of Connecticut, about 1820
27
210
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
settled near where the JJohnson's creek crosses the Stockport road. In 1822, he was assessed as having fifty-tive acres of land. He was the father of N. A. Monroe, and was an excellent mason.
Patrick Connor, Paul Me Avoy, William Mc Avoy, and John Flanagan were the first Irishmen we find assessed in the township. Before 1840 Philip Brady and Patrick Mc Dermot settled near the Rock pond. Others settled on the road extending from Paul ()'Neill's to the Stockport road. The settlement was called Bangall, so named by Joseph Bass, of Lebanon, who, admiring the rapid progress of the settlers, ex- claimed, "They bang all !" whence it took the name of Bangall. In a few years the sturdy yeomanry felled the forest and cleared up good farms, making the country to bud and blossom like the rose, and in a few years built the St. JJuliana Roman Catholic church, now in charge of Rev. John J. Judge, as pas- tor. At South Pleasant Mountain is the St. Cecilia Roman Catholic church, attended once a month from Rock Lake. The post-office in Bangall is called Rock Lake post-office. Paul O'Neill. at an carly day, settled on the old John S. Rogers farm, at what exact time we cannot say, but he was there according to our re- membrance forty years ago. He was a good, genial, kind man. No one ever went hungry from his door. The O'Neills in the township, who are all prosperous farmers, are too numerous to be named.
About 1840, the Me Giverns settled on the west side of the Dyberry, below Paul ('Neill's, and now
211
TOWNSHIPS-MOUNT PLEASANT.
have good farms. About 1852, a settlement was be- gun by the Fives, Haggertys, and others, west of the Dyberry, in the south-east corner of the township.
The village of Pleasant Mt. has all the conveniences of a village, with a number of stores, shops, a black- smith-shop, two taverns, a Presbyterian, a Methodist, and an Episcopal church.
The Pleasant Mount Academy within a few years past has acquired a high celebrity and is deserving of a liberal share of public patronage.
Whites Valley has a M. E. church, store, post-office, several shops, a saw-mill, and a good school building. Joseph L. Terrell, deceased, lived many years in this place as a merchant and a man of business. There are many agreeable associations connected with the past history of this village.
Mount Pleasant produces good crops of corn, rye, oats, buckwheat, and potatoes; but the soil is best adapted for grazing, and for the production of apples, pears, and cherries. More attention is paid to dairy- ing than to any other branch of farming.
Until about 1835, the most of the people were of New England origin, since which time large acces- sions have been made by Irish settlers, who now com- pose nearly if not one-third of the population. There are a few Germans along the Clinton line, near which they have a German Lutheran church.
Forty or fifty years ago, the Pages, Abbots, Fitzes. and other English emigrants settled at different times and in different places, and by tact and industry be-
212
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
came the owners of good farms, among whom is Sam- uel Brooking, who has demonstrated that farming can be made highly remunerative in Mount Pleasant. The township has sixteen common schools, including one independent district, and four hundred and nine- ty-one taxables.
They only who felt and saw the sufferings and pri- vations of the first settlers, could justly describe their trials. They could not live without shelter, food, and raiment; to procure these required all their care and industry, and, after they had done their best, their sufferings were appalling. The howling wolf stood outside their folds ready to devour their flocks, while the gaunt wolf of want entered their huts and stared them in their faces, but they wavered not. They over- came almost insurmountable obstacles and forced na- ture to yield them a subsistence, for they were no ordi- nary men. There were no pigmies among them. The taper fingers of modern effeminacy could not per- form the wonders which they wrought. After the storm was passed they smiled and forgot its ravages. Hence Samuel Stanton wrote some poetry, and, in 1796, sent it to Judge Preston; from its tone one might be led to suppose that there had never been much want in Stanton's neighborhood, but perhaps he claimed some poetic license. It is evident that he was not studying English grammar at the time. The caption of his poetry was "The Golden Age of Mount Pleas- ant, from 1791 to 1796, while eighty-two miles from Easton, the seat of justice."
213
TOWNSHIPS-MOUNT PLEASANT.
[There was no law put in force but the law of forbearance. Having no law, the people were a law unto themselves.]
Secluded here from noise and strife, We lead a quiet, peaceful life. No loungers here with poisonous breath, No doctors here to deal out death.
No trainings here, nor such like trash, To waste our time and spend our cash ; Nor town-meetings to choose our masters, To make us slaves and breed disasters.
No priest sends round his man for pay, Because that he did preach and pray ; For we believe that grace is free To all who wish to taste and see.
No jockey merchants here prevail, To trust their goods, then send to jail ; Nor fiddling, strolling players dare Infest the place, our youth to snare.
Some slaves to forms may now inquire, Have you no court-house, jail, or squire? While all are honest and sincere, What need of court or prison here?
Have we a cause to settle? then We leave it to judicious men To search the matter well, and we To their just judgments do agree.
The noise of war, or the excise, Does neither vex our ears nor eyes ;
For we are free from every tax, And stay at home and swing the ax.
Our corn we pound, our wheat we boil, Thus eat the product of our soil. Sweet Independence here does reign, And we've no reason to complain.
214
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Yet we, like others, still look on Till we shall get our mill to run ; Then we'll not pound and boil again, But live in style like other men.
From sheep we make our clothing warm, In which we face the wintry storm ; They likewise give us meat and light, To feast by day and see by night.
Do we want wild meat, then we kill Elk, deer, or bear, and eat our fill. Sometimes we've fowl and sometimes fislı, But rarely meet an empty dish.
Here healing herbs and roots do grow, And sugar-juice from maples flow. Molasses, vinegar, and beer, Are made from sugar-orchards here.
Sometimes we live on pork and peas, Then milk and honey, butter, cheese; Plain food and exercise agree To make us happy while we're free.
Samuel Stanton, near the close of his life, removed from Mount Pleasant to reside in the western part of this State. He had been appointed a commissioner to construct a State road in that region. He left his family on the west branch and went on business to Harrisburg. On his return he came to Bellefonte in Centre county and stopped with his friend, Judge Burnside, where he was taken sick and died, April 15th, 1816. He assisted in organizing the first Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant. He is represented as hav- ing been a most worthy man.
215
TOWNSHIPS-BUCKINGHAM.
CHAPTER XVII.
TOWNSHIPS-BUCKINGHAM.
MTHIS was one of the original townships, and once in- cluded Manchester, Scott, and part of Preston. In its present contracted limits it is bounded eastward by the Delaware river, south by Manchester, west by Mount Pleasant, Preston, and Scott, and terminating in its northern extremity upon Shrawder's creek. High ridges of hills, except where they are broken by the passage of streams, rise above the river alluvions. Westward of the hills are some good, arable lands, including Kingsbury Hill, Jericho, Brownsville, Wal- lersville, the southern part of the township, and the vicinity eastward and northward of the village of Como. Fork Mountain pond, Lizard lake, High lake, Preston lake, and Nabby's lake are the chief bodies of water. The main streams running into the Dela- ware are the Shehawken,* Big Equinunk, and Tock Pollock. The river flats were taken up and settled at an early day. It was many years before any clearings
*This is the orthography used in old records. In one in- stance it is spelled "Shehocking." But the word is now some- times spelled "Chohocking," which is neither Indian nor Eng- lish.
216
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
were made or any house built upon the uplands. From an assessment made by Blackall W. Ball, in 1806, it appears that there were in the township twenty-five houses, assessed to twenty-one persons, valued at $6,229; valuation of personal property and seated lands in 1806, $11,454; valuation of same in 1878. 8230.273; number of neat cattle in 1806, sixty ; valu- ation of same, $635.00; number in 1878, one hundred and twenty-seven; valuation of the same, $3,360.
Copy of part of said assessment of 1806, showing the names of persons owning houses, mills, neat cat- tle, etc .:
Improved Land.
Unimproved Land.
Houses.
Valuation.
Mills.
Valuation.
Cows.
Valuation.
Oxen.
Valuation.
Occupation.
Blackall W. Ball ...
8
840
2
20
1
$ 20
1
$ 10
2
$40
Simon Peter Cole ..
2
1
10
Nathan Cole.
5
1
10
1
10
. .
. ..
Josephi Cole.
2
255
1
15
1
80
1
10
2
40
60
Peter Cole.
5
249
1
15
Abraham Dillon.
12
328
1 40
2
20
2
40
Geo. W. Hubbell ...
4
1
25
1
10
Adam Kniver
40
560
1
20
1
10
John Knight.
. .
313
1
24
. .
1
10
Nathan Mitchell ..
1
40
1
10
2
40
Thaddeus Newton .. Paul Newton
20
318
1
75
1 SO
2
20
4
80
5
1
45
75
1
10
2
40
Benjamin Owen ...
30
1
15
2
20
2
40
..
Samuel Preston ...
130
71
4
1090
3
300
1
10
4
...
.
.
1
100
. .
..
. .
. .
20
470
1
20
2
20
2
40
Benjamin Thomas
4
256
1
20
1
10
2
40
Oliver Tyler. ..
445
1
10
William White. . .
4
1
10
..
. . .
...
1
10
...
. .
...
66
...
.
....
1
10
. .
...
1
Farmer
John Barriger .. . .
5
. .
1
5
. ·
. .
..
.6
. .
. .
Wheelwright Farmer
Benjamin Sands ... Thomas Travis ... .
20
..
. .
...
..
Eleazer Ogden
1
10
...
Fyra Newton.
..
. .
4
Sylvester RoyIston
...
217
TOWNSHIPS-BUCKINGHAM.
The first man who commenced on the Delaware river in Buckingham, was Samuel Preston, Sen., a Quaker, born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania. He began to make an improvement as early as 1789. He had been all through Luzerne county and the northern part of Wayne county examining the country for the selection of a proper site for starting a village, under the patron- age of Henry Drinker, a wealthy Quaker of Phila- delphia, and a large land-holder. A place was selected upon the Susquehanna river, now in Susquehanna county, Pa., and called Harmony, which location suit- ed Drinker, but Preston preferred Stockport. He, however, assisted in laying out and building up Har- mony, from whence men went to help Preston on with his improvements, and a road was cut out from Stock- port to Harmony. Mr. Preston named his chosen location Stockport, and the township Buckingham- names well known in England from whence the Pres- ton family came in the days of William Penn. His correspondence was very extensive, the most of which he preserved. He was a man of genius and a good mathematician. He built the first mills in Bucking- ham, and in 1806 had cleared up one hundred and thirty acres of land. He greatly promoted the settle- ment of the town, every one being welcome. He made frequent journeys to Bucks county. He brought his iron and merchandise up the Delaware river in Dur- ham boats, which were pushed up the river by setting- poles, except in ascending Foul Rift and other swift waters, where the boats were drawn upward by long
28
218
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
ropes extending to the shore. In 1793, he was mar- ried in Bucks county to Mercy Jenkins, a Quakeress. Within a year he moved his wife to Stockport. He had many peculiarities, but they were harmless .* For one half of the men that he knew he had nicknames, and many of them were laughably appropriate. He was appointed the first associate judge of the county. and at December sessions, 1798, charged the first grand jury impaneled in the county. At a good old age he died peacefully at his residence at Stockport.
Samuel Preston, Sen., left three sons and one daugh- ter. Paul S. Preston, the oldest of the sons, married Maria, a daughter of Samuel R. Mogridge, who came from England and settled in Manchester township. She was a cousin of the celebrated Matthias Mogridge, Esq., and, although older than her husband, outlived him several years. She was a remarkable woman, in- dustrious, frugal, hospitable, and never forgetful of the poor and needy. She brought up fifteen orphan children. Surely her memory is blessed. Having his
*Once the Judge asked a man to dine with him who said he was not at all hungry. Soon after the man said, "I guess I will take some dinner," and drew up to the table. The Judge reached over and took away the man's plate, knife, and fork. Supposing it to be a joke, the man asked Mrs. Preston for a new set. "Thee need not let him have any," said the Judge. Then addressing the man, he said, "Thee cannot now eat at my table. Thee said thee was not hungry. If thee is not hun- gry, thee ought not to eat; and if thee is hungry, then thee hast told a lie, and I do not wish to eat with a liar." The man left.
219
TOWNSHIPS-BUCKINGHAM.
father's assistance, Paul early acquired a good educa- tion, and in 1828 was elected sheriff of the county, and in 1835 was appointed, by Gov. Ritner, clerk of the several courts of Wayne county, and register and recorder. He had a good library, was well ac- quainted with all the English classics, and fully under- 'stood the history and Constitution of his own country. Having Quaker proclivities, he was conscientiously opposed to slavery. He was honest in all things and he never attempted to make the worse appear the bet- ter reason. His professions were his convictions. As he advanced in life he was often heard to say that he had received his three sufficient warnings and that he hoped that his exit would be sudden. His praver was vouchsafed him. He died suddenly at Stockport sta- tion, in September, 1873, aged about seventy-seven years. " After life's fitful fever he sleeps well."
Samuel Preston, Jr., was an excellent farmer, and while he was able to work, superintended the whole business upon the farm. He was an unwavering abolitionist. ILis hatred of slavery was intense. He was ever ready to contribute of his means to aid the fugitive slave. His opposition to slavery arose from his hatred of all wrong, and he could not bear to see pain unnecessarily inflicted upon any of God's crea- tures. "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy." Samuel died at Stockport about three years before Paul.
Warner M. Preston was a lumberman and spent much of his time in Philadelphia in selling the lumber
220
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
that was yearly run from Stockport. He was a mathe- matician and surveyor ; quiet and unobtrusive, with a well-balanced mind. His views were never extreme upon any subject. He died in Philadelphia in 1872.
Hannah, the only daughter of Judge Preston, mar- ried Benjamin Randall, an Englishman. She is yet living in the township and is the mother of Benjamin Randall, Jr., and Peter Randall, who are well-known lumbermen. J. A. Pitcher married a daughter of Mrs. Randall. Mrs. Pitcher was a great favorite with the Preston family.
Mr. and Mrs. Preston bequeathed and devised their property to Ann, their only living daughter. They had one other daughter who married Allan Hoxie. She died many years ago.
Stockport is almost a village of itself. Two dwell- ing-houses, with numerous barns and sheds, one store, a blacksmith shop, a grist-mill, a steam circular saw- mill, and a school-house which was built by the Pres- tons, with about two hundred acres of improved land, make up the place.
Knowing as I do the moral, social, and intellectual excellencies of the Preston family, and making all due allowance for the frailties of human nature, truth compels me to say, that I never shall look upon their like again.
Before the building of the New York and Erie Railroad, long, capacious, and graceful canoes were numerous along the Delaware river, nearly all of which have disappeared. Warner P. Knight, of
221
TOWNSHIPS-BUCKINGHAM.
Stockport, has one, which would have been admired in former times. Such is its capacity that he has con- veyed the burthen of a ton in it from Equinunk to Stockport.
The Knight family. In or about 1789, Capt. John Knight, then about eleven years old, came with Sam- uel Preston to the large flats on the east side of the river below Stockport, where Canope and another Indian lived. Being very hungry, they saw a cow that was eating a pumpkin, and they took it away from her, built up a fire, roasted and ate it. Capt. John Knight afterwards married Rebecca Jenkins, a sister of Judge Preston's wife. The sons of Captain John Knight were William, Daniel, John, and Richard. William Knight, Sen., a brother of Captain John Knight, was born in Philadelphia, in 1775. In 1802 he was appointed by Jefferson as sailing-master of the frigate Philadelphia, and was sent by Bainbridge to intercept a Tripolitan vessel. His vessel ran on a rock and he and the ship's crew of three hundred and eleven men were taken prisoners and kept about two years, when they were ransomed by the payment of $60,000 by the government. Pine lumber was cut at Stockport, ran down the river, and sold to the govern- ment which shipped it to Tripoli and turned it in to pay a part of said ransom money.
Abram Dillon, from Bucks county, began above Equinunk. John K. Dillon, deceased, William Dil- lon, deceased, and Hamilton Dillon, living in Han- cock township, Delaware county, N. Y., were his sons.
222
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
The old homestead is in the possession of the Dillon family.
John Barrager was from near Albany, N. Y. One of his sons, Henry, lives near Great Bend ; another, George, lives in the town, near the river; and John K. Barrager was killed in the late war.
George W. Hubbell, a wheelwright, was the father of Hon. Thomas J. Hubbell, who once represented the county in our Legislature.
Jonathan Jones, once a commissioner of Wayne county, lived near the mouth of the Shehawken, where some of his family are now located.
The names of Thaddeus Newton, Paul Newton, and Ezra Newton are found among the oldest records of the township. Ezra Newton, Jr., now lives near the suspension bridge which spans the Delaware, near Hancock.
Benjamin Sands and Thomas Travis made import- ant improvements at an early day.
Blackall W. Ball lived below the mouth of Shraw- der's creek, and Ball's Eddy was named after him. From what we can learn about him he was a Quaker, from near Philadelphia. The farm was owned many years by James More, Esq. Previous to his purchase at Ball's Eddy, Mr. More lived in Preston township.
Gideon, James, and Thomas Woodmansee located on the road called the "Stockport road," eastward of the Upper Twin pond; they having come from Connec- ticut. They were there in 1819, perhaps earlier. Gideon Woodmansee was the grandfather of J. Man-
223
TOWNSHIPS-BUCKINGHAM.
ning, Jedediah, Samuel, Lyman, and Horace Wood- mansee. Lyman Woodmansee was a carpenter ; the rest were farmers and lumbermen.
Brownsville took its name from a man by the name of Brown, who built a tannery upon the outlet of High lake, which tannery is now owned by Mr. R. H. Wales. There is a post-office at the place, and a large store.
The first settler above Ball's Eddy was Peter Cole who died there and left his possessions to his son, John Cole, who was known to every lumberman on the Delaware.
Elias Kingsbury, from Connecticut, was the first settler at Kingsbury Hill. He married Rachel, a daughter of Thomas Travis. He has two children yet living at the place, namely, Thomas Kingsbury, and Rachel, wife of William Coddington.
Abel Belknap, from Stillwater, N. Y., had a large family who settled in different parts of the county. George H. Belknap, and D. B. Belknap, Esq., are prominent citizens of the place. The latter was from Unadilla, N. Y., and was of another family.
Equinunk will be described under Manchester, be- ing mostly in that township. Buckingham has ten common schools.
224
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
CHAPTER XVIII.
TOWNSHIPS-MANCHESTER.
THIS township is bounded north-west by Bucking- ham, north-east and east by the Delaware river, and south by Damascus and Lebanon, and was taken from Buckingham and erected into a township, Aug. 30th, 1826. For many years before its erection it was known as " The Union Settlement." It took that name from the following circumstances: Samuel Preston and John Hilborn, in the spring of 1790, made a quantity of maple-sugar and sent it to Henry Drinker. The kettle in which the sugar was made was taken from Trenton to Stockport in a Durham boat. Miss Ann Preston says that the kettle is yet at Stockport. Mr. Drinker, in a letter to Mr. Preston. dated Philadelphia, 1st, 7mo., 1790, wrote about the sugar as follows : "I sent a box of thy sugar to Rob- ert Morris, desiring it might be presented to the President of the United States, who was pleased to signify his satisfaction at the receipt thereof, in a let- ter directed to me, of which the following is a copy:
'NEW YORK, June 18, 1790.
SIR :- Mr. Morris has presented me, in your name, with a box of maple-sugar, which I am much pleased to find of so good a quality. I request you to accept my thanks for this
225
TOWNSHIPS-MANCHESTER.
mark of attention ; and being persuaded that considerable ben- efit may be derived to our country, from a due prosecution of this promising object of industry, I wish every success to its cultivation, which the persons concerned in it can themselves desire. I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
GEORGE WASHINGTON.'
So thee sees how I am advanced to a correspond- ence with the King of America. Upon the whole, it is my opinion the subject deserves the countenance and encouragement, not only of one, but of all the great men of the United States. A good deal of time has been spent with J. Hilborn in forming di- rections for pursuing this business in the best way, and in describing the necessary utensils, &c. It has been concluded that to diffuse the same through the country where it may be useful, it would be best to print a small pamphlet, and in pursuance of this con- clusion, Joseph Jones and partner have committed part to the press." In those days the land-owners, having lands covered with hard wood, imagined that upon burning the wood the ashes might be profitably made into potash.
Stimulated by the ardor of Henry Drinker, who owned a large quantity of land in Manchester, a com- pany was formed in Philadelphia, 18th of September, 1792, " To be called the Union Society, for promoting the manufacture of sugar from the maple-tree and fur- thering the interests of agriculture in Pennsylvania. The Society's attention to be primarily and principally confined to that purpose and to the manufacturing of pot and pearl ashes." The trustees were Henry Drink-
29
226
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
er, Samuel Preston, Timothy Pickering, Samuel Hodgdon, Samuel Pleasants, and Samuel M. Fox. The society bought of Henry Drinker eight tracts of land in the warrantee names of Thomas Stewardson, Benjamin Wilson, Mary Sandwith, Samuel Simpson, T. P. Cope, John Thomas, George Drinker, and John Drinker, making three thousand one hundred and thirty-three aeres, called for convenience three thou- sand acres, divided into sixty shares at five pounds per share; total three hundred pounds, (probably Penn- sylvania currency, $2.663 to the pound.) One half was to be paid down. Thirty persons, mostly Quakers. took the shares. Besides the trustees there were other noted men among the share-holders, viz: Samnel Meredith, Thomas Stewardson, Dr. Benjamin Rush. Judge James Wilson, Robert Smith, John Nicholson. Robert Morris, Jeremiah Warden, and others. The Society had a constitution and by-laws, dated August 23d, 1792. In 1796 the property was inventoried. There were thirty-seven potash kettles. Some of them were brought up the Delaware in Durham boats, others of them were conveyed fifty miles overland from Esopus. They had two hundred pine and ash troughs, and one thousand made of bass-wood; they had cleared up thirty-eight acres of land, built three houses and a saw-mill. The personal property was sold to Samuel Preston and Henry Drinker. From an exhibit made by Samuel Preston, the share-holders did not lose by the enterprise, but it probably did not prove as profi- table as they expected it would. The business was
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.