USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne County [Pa.] > Part 21
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
Aldenville was started by Pratt and Alden, who built a tannery at the place, and the village was nam- ed in honor of Levi C. Alden, who took charge of and ran the tannery. The village is well-situated for business and has one store, a post-office, a Baptist and
42
330
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
a M. E. church. The tannery is kept running under the charge of Henry Alden.
Clinton has six common schools and one school in the Independent District of "Mount Republic." There is a Baptist church in the Norton settlement. The number of taxables, in 1878, was two hundred and ninety-seven.
CHAPTER XXVII.
BOROUGH OF PROMPTON.
THIS borough was at first incorporated in 1845, but, in consequence of some irregularity or dis- satisfaction, it was reorganized and enlarged, at Sep- tember sessions, 1850. It was taken from Texas, Ca- naan, and Dyberry. The most of the village is situa- ted near the junction of the Van Auken creek with the west branch, four miles west of Honesdale. William
Jenkins made an assessment of the borough, in 1845; upon examining the same, we find only two persons that we are sure resided there at that time. One is George Alvord, Esq., and the other is George W. Hall, then assessed as a bedstead-maker. At that time Phineas and David Arnold were there; Levi
331
BOROUGH OF PROMPTON.
Bronson, who manufactured shovel-handles; Alexan- der Conyne, who was strangely killed by the spring- ing up of a pole upon which he had felled a tree; George Dimock, now living in Carbondale; Foot and Tingley, merchants; E. E. Guild, clergyman ; Simon Plum, removed ; Roswell Patterson, now of Herrick Centre, Pa .; E. K. Norton, merchant, now of Clin- ton; Sylvanus Osborn, now living at No. 19, Lake township; Hiram Plum, deceased; Henry Dart, inn- keeper, who removed to Honesdale and kept the Wayne County Hotel, and from thence went to Rock River, in Illinois; and Alonzo Tanner, deceased. Then all the Jenkins family were living, excepting Benjamin Jenkins, Sen. He was from Connecticut, and began there with his family before Honesdale was thought of. He bought, in 1813, a tract of land in the warrantee name of James Chapman. There was no road or settler near him, and there he lived and died, surrounded by his family. His sons were Ben- jamin Jenkins, Jr .; Samuel Jenkins, lately deceased ; Asa Jenkins, the father of Wm. Jenkins, assessor, as aforesaid; Edward Jenkins, who was county treasurer when said assessment was taken; and John Jenkins. Jacob S. Davis married one of his daughters, and Ralph Case another. His children clustered around him, and there they peacefully dwelt,
"Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife ; Their sober wishes never learned to stray ; Along the cool sequestered vale of life, They kept the noiseless tenor of their way."
No nobler, purer family ever lived. We cannot
332
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
be justly accused of flattery, for all of the family of Benjamin Jenkins, Sen., are in their graves.
Joseph Headley in early life lived in Bethany. He married Mary, the oldest daughter of Robert Bortree, Sen., of Sterling. More than sixty-five years ago, he bought two hundred acres of land in the south-east section of the Elk Forest tract. He was an industri- ous farmer. His sons, who are living, are John W., Robert, and William. He had, also, one daughter, named Eliza.
Rockwell Bunnell, the oldest son of David Bunnell, Esq., lives within the bounds of the borough. Geo. Alvord, Esq., son of Zenas Alvord, an old settler in Dyberry, has been many years justice of the peace. George W. Hall & Son continue the manufacture of choice furniture. The Wayne County Normal School is located here. The village contains one store and two common schools. Number of taxables, in 1878, one hundred and twenty.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
TOWNSHIPS-BERLIN.
INHIS township was set off from Dyberry, Novem- ber 28th, 1826. It then included Oregon, and, by the first assessment made after its erection, by Andrew
333
TOWNSHIPS-BERLIN.
Davison, it contained but fifteen houses, all valued at $470. The house of John Smith was valued at $200, that of John Garrett, Sen., at $125, and that of Frederick Smith at $80, leaving twelve houses alto- gether valued at $65. Oregon has since been taken off from this township, and it is now bounded north by Oregon and Damascus, south-east by Pike county, south by Palmyra, and south-west and west by Texas. The chief streams are the branches of the Mast Hope, Beardslee's creek and Holbert's brook. The Long, Beech, Adams, and Open Woods ponds are in the township, and a part of Catchall pond. There are no very high hills, but some of the lands southward, east- ward, and westward of the Adams pond are sterile.
At the erection of the township the principal taxa- bles were Lester Adams, Stephen D. Bunnell, John Cressman, Samuel Camfield, Martin Kellogg, Andrew Davison, Jeremiah Garrett, John Garrett, Sen., John Garrett, Jr., Hugh McCrannels, Henry Pulis, Peter Pulis, Samuel Smith, John Smith, Peter Smith, Wm. Charles Smith, and Frederick Smith. Ephraim Tor- rey and Moses Ward were taxed as non-residents. Samuel Camfield, one of the above-named is still living in the town. Ephraim Torrey was one of the first beginners at Beech Pond, and died there about 1829. Near that time Wm. Olver and Jonathan Tamblyn commenced this side of the pond. Wm. Spry was the next settler and is yet living on his original location; then William Tamblyn bought west of him, and Ed- ward Marshal bought where his son Edward now lives.
334
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
John Olver took up and bought land west of the Long pond where his widow and son now live. These set- tlers were from England.
The opening of the Delaware and Hudson Canal gave a great impetus to the settlement of the country about Honesdale, and Berlin township was particular- ly benefited thereby. The Honesdale and Big Eddy turnpike was built, and subsequently a plank-road near the same, over which all the travel between Honesdale and New York via Narrowsburg passed until the building of the Honesdale branch of the Erie railroad. Before the building of this railroad so great were the transportation and travel between Honesdale and the New York & Erie railroad, that a plank road was made from near the former residence of Buckley Beardslee, deceased, to Mast Hope, now called Pine Grove. But it failed to meet the expectations of its projectors, and is now a useful township road. Sam- uel Smith is reputed as having been the first settler in the township, on Smith Hill. Here is some of the best land for corn and grain in the county. It is call- ed red shale soil; it covers a large area in the north- western part of the town and extends northward into Oregon township. The numerous descendants of Samuel and John Smith have mostly departed from Smith Hill, and their farms are owned and occupied by new-comers.
Berlin Center, which owes its name to the intersec- tion of two township roads, is in the Smith Hill vicin- ity. Here, living with his son, John Seaman, is C.
335
TOWNSHIPS-BERLIN.
B. Seaman, Esq., in his ninety-second year. His wife is aged about eighty-eight years. She was the daugh- ter of Jacob Kimble, of Paupack, Pike county; and in the same house with them lives the widow of John Smith, deceased, a sister of Charles B. Seaman, aged about ninety years. The ages of the three average about ninety years. Where can the like be found in any house in the county ? Having within six months past visited this family, we were delighted to see the kindness and respect with which these good people are treated by their children and grandchildren. It may be said unto them, "Verily, ye shall in nowise lose your reward."
Isaac Seaman removed from Haverstraw, N. Y., and settled in Damascus, where Chas. B. Seaman was born. From thence he removed to Dyberry and bought the farm now owned by Daniel M. Eno. Isaac Seaman sold the farm to Peter Smith who sold it to Deming & Eno. Charles B. Seaman removed to Pike county where he held the offices of sheriff and prothonotary and after returning to this county was elected county commissioner.
Henry Bishop lives in this township. His father, an old Revolutionary soldier, came from New Jersey, first settled at the Narrows in Pike county, from thence removed to Bethany and was accounted the first set- tler therein. He was a carpenter and built the first frame house for William Schoonover that was built in Dyberry. He carried the mail on foot for several years between Bethany and Stroudsburg. His sons
336
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
were John, William, Hiram, Henry, David, Jacob, and Harvey. Henry Bishop, the subject of this paragraph, is aged eighty-two years, and was a half-brother on his mother's side to Joseph Atkinson, deceased. He says that he has eaten bread that was made from flour that his father brought up on his back from Minisink. Henry has one sister, widow Rachel Schoonover, now living at Forest Mills with her son.
BEECH POND. This village is situated below the pond of the same name. Thomas Burke began a tan- nery there, did but little, and sold out the same to Henry W. Stone and Horace Drake, who carried on tanning successfully for several years, and established as appurtenant thereto a large store. Mr. Stone sold out to Messrs. Drake & Sons, who continued in the bus- iness as long as the same could be made remunerative. Being situated in the midst of a good agricultural re- gion, the village is well kept up by the business arising therefrom. When Beech Pond began to flourish, Ste- phen W. Genung built a saw-mill upon the outlet of Adams pond, and for a time carried on lumbering; hence the place was called Genungtown, and it is about two miles south of Beech Pond. Wm. Hol- bert, now of Equinunk, came into the possession of the place, and pursued the lumbering business upon a large scale, built good and substantial buildings, clear- ed up and improved the lands, and made a good farm. He then sold out the same to J. Williams. The lum- ber from this mill was drawn down through the Catch- all settlement to the Delaware.
337
TOWNSHIPS-BERLIN.
Soon after the making of the turnpike road from Indian Orchard to Narrowsburg, Wm. Rockwell, from Connecticut, took up a large tract of land about one mile and a half westward of Beech Pond, cleared up a large farm of red-shale soil, built a convenient tavern house, and kept a licensed inn for many years. He had three children, two of whom, with himself, are in the grave. The farm is now owned by P. Staff.
About one mile east of Beech Pond there is a road that starts off from near Lucius Keyes' house and runs south through the Henshaw and Mc Intire settlement to intersect the Catchall road. There is much excel- lent land in this settlement. On the Catchall road is sufficient population to maintain a common school. Jacob W. Travis located and bought land about one mile east of Beech Pond, on the old turnpike road, about fifty years ago, and kept tavern for some years. He left two children who are yet living.
In this township, six miles from Honesdale, is a poor-house, built on a large farm, which the overseers of the poor of Honesdale and Texas purchased of Henry Bishop. The paupers are employed upon the farm for the purpose of utilizing their labor, and en- abling them to contribute in part to their own sup- port. The system has been in operation for many years, and long enough to test its utility. It is under the care of Joseph Dewitt, Esq., of Honesdale.
A majority of the people in Berlin are of English descent, and there are also many Germans. The American element was from different States, though
43
338
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
but few of them are of New England origin. In 1878 there were two hundred and fifty dwelling-houses in the town, valued at about $39,000. There is one Baptist church near Berlin Center, one Methodist Episcopal, and also one Free Methodist church near Beech Pond. There are nine district schools, and the number of taxables is three hundred and sixty-three.
CHAPTER XXIX.
TOWNSHIPS-OREGON.
ITHIS township was erected at December sessions, 1846. It was taken from Berlin, which had been organized twenty years before. It is one of the smallest of the townships, ranking in size with Pal- myra, Texas, and Cherry Ridge. It is bounded north by Lebanon, east by Damascus, south by Berlin, and west by Dyberry. The streams are Carley brook, which rises in the township, runs south-westward through it, and joins the Lackawaxen at Tracyville; Big brook, a part of which runs through its western section ; and Holbert brook, in the south-eastern cor- ner. The ponds are the Day pond, Spruce, Huck, Mud, Lovelass, Smith, Lower Wilcox, and Upper Wilcox, or Yarnell pond, upon the northern side of
339
TOWNSHIPS-OREGON.
which lives Capt. John Kellow, a distinguished sol- dier of the late war. Oregon, in Spanish, means marjoram. Can a sprig of that aromatic herb be found in the township ?
Lester Adams and William Adams appear to have been early settlers. Exactly when they began, and from whence they came, we cannot find out. There are many of the Adams family whose pedigree is untrace- able. We find one named in a very old history, that first settled on the river Euphrates, and, being alone, he was called in the singular number " Adam." He had several children. There were Abel Adams, Cain Adams, Seth Adams, and some others not named. As the children increased, they were called the " Adams family." They spread over the whole world, and it is not strange that some of them found their way into Oregon, Manchester, and other parts of the county. We never heard of any who preserved the original family name that were notrespectable. Among these were John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Charles Francis Adams; but we have not time to trace their genealogy back to the old gentleman.
Henry Pulis, a son of Conrad Pulis, began, in 1827, on the road leading from Dyberry to Rileyville, though the road was not then made. There was a road, when Bethany was first started, laid out from the Dyberry through to the Cochecton and Great Bend turnpike, and called the "Gate road." Hugh Mc Crunnels, a noble Irishman, settled on that road, about sixty years ago, distant about half a mile from
340
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
the Dyberry post-office. A part of that old farm is now owned by Thomas Dunn, and near by is the farm that Lewis Hole cleared up, now owned by H. W. Adams. Most of the roads and improvements in the town have been made within thirty years past.
There was a road laid out in this township from Honesdale, after it began to prosper, through Smith Hill settlement, by the way of James Smith's, to Eldred, and thence to the mouth of Calkin's creek. The most of the people on that road are English, and they have some very good farms. Near the Berlin line, on the same road, is a Methodist Episcopal church, and near William Boucher's is another. The road which runs from Girdland, diagonally through the township, was laid out in 1850, about which time Hard, Palmer & Gilbert built the tannery, now owned by Wefferling, Brunig & Co., upon Carley brook. After that, Wm. Penwarden, who was born in England, built a saw-mill upon said brook, one mile above the tannery, and, by strict attention to business, has become wealthy. He married a daughter of Thomas Depuy, of Madison, Pa. John Reifler, coun- ty commissioner, owns a superior saw-mill, situated below Penwarden's; he is a German, and about one- quarter of the land-holders in the town are of the same nationality.
Girdland is situated mostly on the old Gate road aforesaid, part of it being in this township and part in Lebanon. Soon after the settlement of Bethany, Jason Torrey bought a tract of land in the warrantee
341
TOWNSHIPS-OREGON.
name of Abner Skinner and caused the large trees to be girdled in order to kill them, as he designed to have a brother of his clear up a farm there, which, however, he did not do. Charles Torrey began and made a
small clearing. Then Jonathan Bryant, a son of Thomas Bryant, bought the place, and, after many years, it fell into the hands of George Croy, who now lives upon the place. The settlement was called Girdland. The second settler was James Nelson, who took up a lot of excellent land; but, being remote from society, schools, and churches, he became dis- couraged, sold out his improvement, and went to Nebraska. After that, several Germans were attract- ed to the vicinity by the smoothness and fertility of the soil, and they have secured themselves with comfortable homes. There are many English families but the German element predominates. Jonathan Bryant, who did not lack the gift of continuance in well-doing, has acquired a competence which he most surely deserves. There is a post-office at Girdland, kept by J. Budd, Esq., who has a higher position, in that he is a good blacksmith.
This township and Lebanon jointly support a school, so that there are four and a half common schools in the township. The number of taxables is one hun- dred and eighty-two.
342
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXX. TOWNSHIPS-TEXAS.
A T November sessions, 1837, this township was taken off from Dyberry, and, in 1843, Cherry Ridge was set off from Texas, leaving it in shape like an awkwardly-made square-toed boot. It is now bounded north by Dyberry and Prompton, east by Berlin, south by Palmyra and Cherry Ridge, and west by Cherry Ridge, Canaan, and Prompton. The Lack- awaxen runs south-eastward nearly through the cen- tre of the township, and the stream is joined at Hones- dale by the Dyberry, which comes in from the north. The most easily cultivatable lands are the alluvions along the Lackawaxen and the Dyberry.
WHITE MILLS. A saw-mill was built at this place by Daniel Parry & Co., which mill afterwards fell into the hands of A. H. Farnham & Co. Some of its owners having whitewashed the buildings, it was called White Mills. At these mills an enormous amount of white pine was sawn, and from thence run to market. Christian Dorflinger, from Rochsteig, Alsace, in France, came to the United States in 1846. He learned his trade as a manufacturer of ornamental and enameled glass-ware, at St. Louis, in Loraine, France; and after his arrival in this country, was first connect-
343
TOWNSHIPS-TEXAS.
ed with the flint-glass works at Greenpoint, Long Is- land, N. Y. In or about 1865, he selected a point on the eastern side of the Lackawaxen, near White Mills, upon which to build a glass factory. The works have been in operation eight or ten years, and, notwithstand- ing the monetary difficulties which have crippled or suspended many manufacturing establishments, Mr. Dorflinger has successfully continued his business. Between his works and the depot on the Honesdale branch of the Erie railroad is a substantial county bridge across the Lackawaxen and canal. There are from one hundred to one hundred and twenty men, women, and children employed in and about said fac- tory. The glass produced there combines every de-
gree of excellence and ornamentation.
Specimens of
the perfection of the work were exhibited at the Cen- tennial Exposition at Philadelphia in 1876, and were not excelled by the best work made at Pittsburg or elsewhere. There is one public house and a large store kept by E. A. Dorflinger. Here is the St. Joseph's Catholic church which is visited monthly from Hawley. Above the depot on the western side of the river is the residence of the Hon. Frederick W. Farnham, this being the place where Enos Woodward once lived. The latter was a popular county commis- sioner in 1838. His wife, who survives him, was a daughter of Joseph Miller, Esq., and is living at White Haven on the Lehigh.
The next place on the river is where Walter Kim- ble located after the Indian wars on the Paupack.
344
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
He was the father of Charles and Stephen, and was one of the most enterprising lumbermen on the Lack- awaxen. He sold out all his possessions to Buckley Beardslee and removed to the West. Mr. Beardslee held several offices, one being that of county commis- sioner. He married a daughter of Walter Kimble and she is yet living, but he has been dead several years. Their sons are all living, namely, Walter, a farmer; Howkin B., attorney; and Charles, a farmer. Hon. H. B. Beardslee, in 1845, was elected register and recorder of the county ; afterwards he edited the Wayne County Herald, and was elected Representa- tive, and then to the State Senate. Finally, he dis- posed of his interest in the Herald, and removed to Wilkesbarre and became the editor of the Luzerne Union, a Democratie paper. He married a daughter of Win. Clark, of Abington, Pa. According to his testimony there was a place on his father's farm where the Indians had paved a dancing-ground by laying down large, flat stones, where they gathered together like the ancient worshipers of Odin, in the Orkney islands, around the mossy stones of power. There the simple Indians performed their fantastic dances, and invoked the aid of the Great Spirit to as- sist them in their contemplated enterprises. Mrs. Fan- ny Atkinson, of Hawley, says that upon the flats at In- dian Orchard were formerly found flint arrows, and pestles and hatchets, made of stone. She thinks that, a man, by the name of Holbert, lived at the Beards- lee place before Walter Kimble began on it. She
345
TOWNSHIPS-TEXAS.
also says that David Ford, one of the original settlers on the upper Paupack, first lived at Indian Orchard, and that her father, Benjamin Kimble, bought Ford's possessions, and that Thomas Schoon- over, also, once lived on a part of the flats. Simeon Kimble is a son of Benjamin Kimble. Wm. Holbert, Jr., bought the Schoonover farm.
The Holbert family. The first of the Holberts that came into Pennsylvania was William Holbert, Sen., from Connecticut. In 1776 he first settled in New Jersey, opposite Milford, Pa. He bought Mast Hope and Holbert Bend. At the latter place the Indians prevented his making a settlement, and he temporarily returned to New Jersey. His sons were Benjamin and Joseph. Benjamin settled at the Bend, where Frederick R. Holbert now lives. His sons were, 1st, William Holbert, Jr., who settled at Indian Orchard as aforesaid. 2d, Joseph G. Holbert, who was father of William Holbert, of Equinunk, county commission- er, and of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas J., and John Holbert. The latter owns a farm and mill on the Shehawken. Another of the sons, George Holbert, lives at the mouth of the "Lackawack," as it was al- ways called in former times. Joseph Holbert, Sen., located at Mast Hope. William Holbert, of Indian Orchard, married a daughter of Stephen Kimble.
Leonardsville was named after John Leonard, who began there soon after the canal was finished. The place was selected for a boat-yard and many of the
44
346
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
best mechanics and boat-builders gathered there. The business of the place has declined.
Jabez Rockwell. In the Methodist cemetery at Honesdale is the grave of Jabez Rockwell. He was born in Connecticut in November, 1762. When in his sixteenth year he enlisted in a company raised in that place, was mustered into a regiment commanded by Benedict Arnold, was wounded at the battle of Saratoga, was afterwards transferred to the army fur- ther south, and was in the battles which culminated in the surrender of Cornwallis, at which event he was present. At the close of the war he settled in Mil- ford, Pike county, which was then a wilderness. He was twice married. One of his sons by his first wife was Lewis Rockwell, formerly sheriff of Pike county, and who is now living a few miles from Tafton, in that county, being over ninety years of age. In Sep- tember, 1798, Jabez Rockwell was appointed crier of the courts of Wayne county, and in 1805 he was deputy sheriff under Abram Mulford, whose daughter he married for his second wife. In 1824 he was one of three Revolutionary soldiers that went from Pike county to New York to see General La Fayette, by whom they were warmly welcomed. Mr. Rockwell removed to Leonardsville in 1837, and there resided until the time of his death, in January, 1847. Being a Mason he was buried with the honors of that order, and with the honors of war, and the obsequies were solemn and imposing. He was a fifer, and one of his favorite airs, "The Masonic Adieu," was fifed in the
347
TOWNSHIPS-TEXAS.
funeral procession from Leonardsville to Honesdale, by the author of this work. He had been for many years preceding his death in receipt of a pension from the government. Charles F. Rockwell, Esq., ex-treas- urer of the county; Mrs. E. H. Mott, of Honesdale; and Mrs. Isaac Decker, of Leonardsville, are grand- children, and John B. Rockwell, of Prompton, is a great-grandchild of Jabez Rockwell, aforesaid. William Rockwell, a Connecticut man, who first settled in Berlin, on the Honesdale and Big Eddy turnpike road, and who died some years ago in Leonardsville, was of a different family.
Tracyville is situated on the east side of the Lacka- waxen near the confluence of Carley brook therewith. Esquire Thomas Spangenberg tells us that when he first came into the county, in 1794, he found a tub- mill for grinding corn, at this place; that it would not pay for tending, and every man went and ground for himself. Stephen Kimble built the first saw-mill that we ever knew at the place. In his later days Mr. Kimble moved to the west side of the river. The place was called Tracyville after Thomas H. R. Tracy who built a mill up the stream and encouraged some mechanics to found some shops in the village. About 1842, Jacob Faatz started a factory for the making of window-glass, but for want of capital he was obliged to abandon the business. James Brookfield succeeded him, but the dam of a reservoir belonging to the Del- aware & Hudson Canal Company, far up the stream, having broken away, during a great storm, carried the
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.