History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 102

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 1438

USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 102
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 102
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 102

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).

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WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA,

and he went into the pond. 'The ice kept break- ing with him until nearly exhausted, he put his wet mittens on the icc as far as he could reach, and when they froze fast he drew himself out, then getting some poles and brush he con- structed a bridge and thus secured his otter. His wife was a daughter of James Bigelow, of Mount Pleasant. He died at Honesdale in 1858, leaving the following children,-Seth, James F. (since deccased), Norman, Jolın E., Ezra E., Clayton, Eliza, Tryphena and Mary. John E. Tryphena and Mary have since died. Philo Sherwood married Tryphena; G. P. Bass, Eliza; Mary died unmarried. Ezra E. owns the lands south of the road, and Clayton the north part of the old homestead.

East and adjoining the Seth Yale farm on the north side of the road live Edward Kernan and P. Coffey, on land originally settled by Captain Asa Yale, a Revolutionary soldier and uncle of Seth Yale. He came about 1817-18, went back to Connecticut on a visit and was drowned on his way back to Pennsylvania.

Going on east about a mile and a quarter wc find Shieldsboro, so-called from Robert Shields, a son of Thomas Shields, the great land-holder ; having built a saw-mill here in 1828, he placed two of his sons in charge of the property, but after a short time they left for a (to them) more congenial clime. The property is now owned by John H. Cassidy, of Damascus, brother of Lewis C., attorney-general of Penn- sylvania, but the mill is operated by E. Stan- ton, of Honesdale. Opposite, on the south side of the road lives S. Wilmarth, a black- smith. East of this on the south side of the road, is Scth Yale, son of Esquire Yale. He settled on this place about fifty years ago. His wife is a daughter of John Douglass.

Passing on east and turning south on the middle Lebanon road we first find Albert Belknap, a son of Josiah Belknap, who cleared up the farm. Belknap married a daughter of J. Douglass for his first wife, and Alice Green as his second. South of this is the farm of Abial Brown, which was first taken by Josiah Bennett, and south of this latter is Jeliiel Jus- tin also on Bennett land. Justin is an eastern man, settled here in 1839. Passing along the

road south we find on the west side of the road a farm belonging to the heirs of Lewis Kreit- ner, first settled by Bailey Hendricks. Pierce Handell lived there at one time. Farther south on both sides of the road is the farm of Jackson Latourette, a son of John Latourette. This place was taken up by James Balkcom, (2) who cut the timber on twenty-five or thirty acres, when he sold out to one Hezekiah French, who built the house and barn. He was succeeded by Matthewson, and he by G. & T. Mitchell. The next farm south of the Latourettes is that of Frank Robinson, who succeeded his father, James Robinson, who settled there about forty years ago. This farm was formerly owned by Rev. Curtis Stoddard. The next farm south is one formerly owned by Calvin R. Niles, but at present by E. E. Avery, who married a daughter of Niles. Below this we find John Robinson on the farm settled upon by John Pulis, who went west. The next farm is owned by heirs of Ezra Brown, a son of Henry Brown, a soldier of 1812, and the next was settled upon by Henry Brown aforesaid and is, at present, occupied by W. H. Palmer. Henry Brown married Betsy Nelson. He died in 1877 and left one daughter-Mrs. Fred. Hub- bard. Passing the Brown farm a short dis- tance and turning to the left the old farm of Ephraim Pulis, now owned by his son Spencer M., comes in view. E. Pulis was once county commissioner, and for some years a justice ot the peace. The next farm going east is owned by Richard Arthur and was formerly owned by Aaron Pulis. The next is Wm. Ridd's and the next is the Henry Avery farm. The two last named farms were taken up by one Lewis Payne in 1825. Returning to the turnpike and turning east we come to a farm commenced by Nathan Yerkes, but cleared up and im- proved by Wm. Adams, formerly of Delaware County, N. Y. He was a natural accountant and penman, many years assessor and secretary of the school board. His wife was Matilda Stark. He and his wife have been dead some years. They left two sons, George and Henry. The old farm is now owned by Lucy Belknap, daughter of Josialı Belknap. The next farm east and on the south side of the road is where

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WAYNE COUNTY.

John Lincoln, before mentioned, settled in 1823. It was formerly occupied by a Mr. Forbes, and before that by a Mr. Losey. It is at present owned by Hiram Wright. Lincoln's wife was Millany Hutchinson. Nearly op- posite is Homer Brooks, a son of Virgil Brooks, on a farm formerly owned by A. B. Lacey, now of Oneonta, N. Y. Just east of Brooks is the Presbyterian Church and Rileys- ville school-house.

The farm east of H. Brooks, and lying on both sides of the turnpike, is the old John C. Riley place. Riley commenced here about sixty-five years ago. He kept hotel and store. The farm has passed through many hands, and is now owned by H. C. Stevenson.

Opposite Stevenson's is Dr. S. A. Kelley, and east of Kelley is Owen Gilroy. Below him, on the east side, is John Taylor, a black- smith. The next building is the Methodist Episcopal Church ; the next the store and dwelling of S. H. & N. W. Vail, sons of S. K. Vail, deceased. East of Vail's store, on the north side of the road, is Stephen Hopkins, a son of Judah B. Hopkins, of Rhode Island, who settled on the south side of the road about fifty years ago. The farm is now owned by Clarence, a son of S. Hopkins. Avery and Wilcox were on the place before Hopkins. East of Hopkins is George Blair, on the south side of the road, Mrs. C. Rice and E. Rice, on north side; W. S. Vail owns a farm formerly owned by Adam Kniver. East of this is a farm owned by leirs of the Samuel K. Vail, who came from Orange County, N. Y., about twenty-eight years ago. This farm was first settled by Joseplı Thomas, afterward by J. C. Riley, who kept tavern, and later by Abraham Mitchell. East of the Vail farm, on north side of turnpike, lives Linus N. Goodnough, and on the south side is William Atkins. At this point a road leads south to the Girdland. On this road we find the farms of George Atkins, Henry Dennis, Christian Blokberger, in the Girdland we find Peter Knorr, Angust Schweighofer, B. Gredlein, Neville Holgate (P.M.), C. Erhardt and others, who have set- tled in this vicinity within twenty-five or thirty years. Near the Hamlin Mill place are

John Erwin, John Tamblyn, Osborn Mitchell and his two sons, John J. and Monroe. Osborn Mitchell is a son of Abraham Mitchell, before mentioned. Near this point the road through the Girdland intersects the road leading from Rileysville to Honesdale. Turning north, the first farm that is passed was formerly owned by Arthur G. Niles, who moved to Nebraska. It is now owned by the widow of S. M. Keesler. North of this is A. R. Bishop, on a farm form- erly owned by Aner Treat. Farther north is a farm formerly owned by Stephen Nelson, de- ceased, and north of this, on the west side of the road, is George Bishop. This farm was taken up by John Wilmarth, the father of Galen and Seba Wilmarth. Nearly opposite is the farm of Stephen Pulis, originally taken up by William Balkcom. Balkcom left one son, D. W. M. Balkcom and two daughters, Mrs. Stephen Pulis and Mrs. S. O. Lincoln. Next, on west side of the road, is a farm once the pro- perty of James Balkcom (2), subsequently owned by Elijah Budd, but now by the heirs of D. W. M. Balkcom. Adjoining this on the north is the farm cleared up by Daniel Balkcom, who died in 1873, and left one son, D. W. The farm is now occupied by Charles Balkcom, son of D. W. North of this, and on the east side of the road is the farm taken up by James Balkcom (1), who came from Massachusetts with his three sons, -- James, Daniel and William. The farm is now owned by Daniel W., only son of Daniel Balkcom. James Balkcom (2), married for his first wife Sabra Davidson (2), Widow Bicknell (3), Vashti Gleason. He left two sons,-James, living in Oregon township; La- fayette, living in Nebraska, and one daughter, Mrs. W. S. Vail.

North of the two last named farms is the farm of Virgil Brooks, being on both sides of the road. This place was formerly occupied by Jacob Mitchell, none of whose family are left in the township. North of this place was Ezra Baker, an Eastern man, who left two sons, George and Stephen. The farm is now owned by Virgil Brooks. At this point a road leads east ; the first farm upon it was taken by Abra- ham Bennett, of Orange County, N. Y., who married a Ross. He left three sons,-Abra-

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WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

ham, Alva and Joseph R., and three daughters. Milton Balkcom now owns the farm. East of this, on south side of road, is Joseph Bennett, on a farm taken up by Jason G. Bass, son of Joseph Bass. He died in Kansas City, Mo. His family are all in the West. He married (1), Marcia Spafford, and his second wife was Har- riet Purdy, a sister of Abbott Purdy, Esq. On the north side of the road is a farm once oc- cupied by J. Baird, afterwards by Israel Owens, later by James Blair, and at present by Her- bert E. Gager, son of Horace W. Gager, de- ceased. Beyond this is the farm of Brice Blair. The road here turns to the north and leads to the turnpike near W. S. Vail's.

Returning to the Balkcom road, and going north on west side of the road, we find the farm of Libbie Tomlinson, daughter of Michael Tomlinson, who formerly owned it. On the east side of the road is a farm taken up by Stephen Tyler, now owned by S. O. Lincoln. North of this, on the west side of the road, is a farm once owned by Charles Colborn, more re- cently by William W. Mamy, and at present by J. Dawson Askins. North of this, on the west side of the road, Joseph Wilmot, from Rhode Island, settled. It is now a part of H. Stevenson's farm. William J. Stoutenberg once occupied the eastern part of the Stevenson farm. Crossing the turnpike, going north, we find O. C. Sears on the farm owned by his father, Miles Sears. Beyond is a farm cleared up by Sidney Coons, now occupied by Henry Hartman. At Vail's store a road leads north, on which are located the farms of Philip Mar- fing and R. Henderson.

We believe that we have given the names and location of the old settlers as correctly as can be ascertained at the present time. The original settlers have passed away, their de- scendants were young when they came here, and so in some cases it is difficult to correctly lo- cate some of the pioneers of this township, but the foregoing it is thought is substantially cor- rect.

FIRST EVENTS-The first birth in the town- ship was that of John Wheatcraft, son of Ed- ward and Rebecca Wheatcraft.

The first marriage in which both parties lived

in the township, was that of Benajah Carr and Palina, a daughter of Silas Stevens, E. Wheat- craft and Gibson Parkinson were married pre- vious, but their wives were natives of Mt. Pleasant, being daugliters of John Rogers.

The first death was that of the mother of Gibson Parkinson.

The first frame house was either upon the Yale or S. K. Vail farm, but supposed to be the latter. They were both built before 1810, which is as early as we have good authority for statements.

ROADS .- The road from Rileysville to Jacob Welch's, in Manchester, and thence to Equi- nunk was laid out in 1823-viewers, David Gager, Elisha Lincoln, Seth Yale and John Kellam. The Justin road was laid out in 1836 -E. Lincoln, Seth Yale, D. Gager, William Adams and William Balkcom, viewers. The road starting on the turnpike at the corner of lands of Walter Harrison and George Parkin- son, thence to the Delaware River at the mouth of Big Equinunk Creek, was opened in 1838- Warner Preston, Sr., D. Gager, John W. Bass, Seth Yale and William Dillon, viewers. The turnpike was for a long time the mail route. The mail was carried in the four-horse coaches which ran each way daily. To name the dif- ferent drivers would be impossible, but a few will suffice,-Job Cox, Joe Coit, Nick Daw and last but not least Hiram Wright, commonly called "The Judge," now a resident of this township. To him belongs the honor of driving the last four-horse coach over the route.

RELIGIOUS MATTERS .- The first preaching was at the house of Joseph Bass, and according to the best information, was by Rev. Mr. Bur- roughs, a Methodist, of Connecticut, and father of Hon. Urbane Burroughs, of Susquehanna County. At what time a class was organized is unknown, but a society was formed with Joseph Bass as class leader and licensed exhorter. The class, as far as can be learned, consisted of J. Bass and wife, E. Wheatcraft, Sr. and Jr., and wives, David Spafford and wife and five or six members of the Harrison family. Among the different Methodist Episcopal ministers who have labored here were the following : Joseph Castle, Stocking, Rodgers, Ellis, William

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Reddy, Charles Perkins, R. S. Rose, Peck, C. V. Arnold, Brownecom, N. Warren Everett, G. W. Leach, J. Durham, Blake, Thomas Warnock. B. F. Larrabee, of Jackson, is the present in- cumbent.

The first church building erected was the Presbyterian Church, at Rileysville, in 1850. It is a neat wooden building of sufficient size to accommodate about three hundred persons and cost about two thousand dollars. Rev. Mr. Worthington was the first minister in charge. In 1853 Rev. E. O. Ward, of Bethany, assumed pastorship and continued to fill the position until about 1875, since which time there has been no regular minister. Messrs. Foster, Hay- maker, Phipps and Martin, students of Prince- ton Theological Seminary, have each spent one summer's vacation here. Revs. E. O. Ward and S. Torrey have held occasional services. The membership at one time amounted to twenty- five, but deaths and removals have reduced the number to about ten or twelve. In 1872 the Methodist Episcopal Church at Rileysville was built at a cost of twenty-eight hundred dol- lars.

SCHOOLS .- The first building erected for school purposes was at Rileysville, on land of J. C. Riley, about the year 1828. At West Lebanon, a house was built about two years later. Previous to that time unoccupied houses or parts of those that were occupied had been used for school purposes in the winter, and sometimes barns were utilized in the summer season. Sarah Bass, daughter of Joseph Bass, was the first teacher at West Lebanon, and Fanny Huntington, a sister of Mrs. John Lin- coln, was at Rileysville about the same time.

ACTION OF TOWNSHIP ON THE SCHOOL LAW OF 1834 .- The following occurs in the minutes of the proccedings of the board of school di- rectors of Lebanon school district, Wayne County, Pa. " Agreeably to the requisitions of the acts of Assembly of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, passed the 1st day of April, 1834, to establishı a general system of education by common schools, an election being held at the house of John C. Riley on the 19th day of Sep- tember, in the year aforcsaid, for the purpose of electing six directors of common schools,

when, after counting the votes, it appeared that the following persons were duly elected : for one year, S. K. Dodge, Robbins Douglass ; two years, W. Adams, E. Lincoln ; three years, Samuel Wenzell, Daniel Balkcom. William Adams was chosen president, S. Wenzell secretary, Daniel Balkcom treasurer and E. Lincoln dele- gate." There were only two districts at first, known as the east and west districts. We find the following entry : " Aug. 27th, 1835, Direc- tors Wm. Adams, Elisha Lincoln, Jesse Harri- son & S. Wenzell, visited the school in the west division, kept by Miss Keziah Day, and found the same to be conducted under a strict discipline and good moral principles, and contains 38 Scholars from 3 to 14 years of age, 30 of which are in reading and writing, the remainder in Spelling, &c., the Said School having been kept open 4 months at 5 dollars per month," also, August 30th, directors Adams, Lincoln, W. J. Stantenberg and Wenzell " visited School in Eastern division kept by Miss Louisa Smith, and found it to be conducted as the one above Stated, to contain 30 Scholars from 3 to 14 years of age, 25 of whom are in reading and writing, the remainder in Spelling &c., the School having been taught 52 months at 4 dol- lars per month."

The school-houses at this time were owned by stockholders. On October 28, 1836, a com- mittee reported that they were unable to have the property turned over to the directors upon reasonable terms, and the committee were dis- charged. On October 2, 1839, a committee con- sisting of Robbins Douglass, Silas M. Stevens and David Gager, were appointed to attend to the local affairs of the west school. When a candidate for the school presented himself for ex- amination Douglass and Stevens commenced the examination, then turned him over to Gager, who commenced at the alphabet, having him read " b-a, ba," etc., until he came to " ci " which he read ci " ki." " Yes," said Gager, " c-i, ki der, kider you can go."

The district has at various times been subdi- vided to accommodate the school population, but at present contains four districts and a joint school with Oregon. At the close of the seliool year, 1885, there were one hundred and twenty-two

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WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

different names on the list ; average daily atten- dance, seventy. The school-houses are all frame buildings and cost about three hundred dollars on an average.

PHYSICIANS .- Dr. Sanford A. Kelly located at Rileysville in 1876. Although comparatively a young man he has built up a large practice in this and other towns. He came here from Hop- bottom, Susquehanna County.

About 1878 Dr. Howard Noble, from Da- mascus, located at Rileysville. He soon re- moved to Clyde, O., but is now at Mount Pleas- ant, Pa., where he has a good practice.

POST-OFFICES .- The office at Rileysville is an old office. J. C. Riley, Thomas Anderson, Giles H. Lincoln, John Lincoln, D. W. Balk- com have severally held the office. S. H. Vail, is the present incumbent. The office at Cold Spring was established in 1858. J. R. Mitchell Thomas Fulton and P. S. Bass have had the title of postmaster, and E. C. Douglass at pres- ent holds the office.

J. C. Riley and Charles Colborn at different times in the earlier days of the township kept a store at Rileysville. S. H. & N. W. Vail keep a general store at Rileysville now, and R. Douglass, a son of Robbins Douglass (deceased), keeps a grocery store on the old David Gager farm.

MILLS, MANUFACTORIES, ETC .- The first mills built in this township were a saw-mill and grist-mill built by George Parkinson ; it is probable they were built about the year 1810, as Seth Yale removed from Mount Pleasant to Lebanon, in order to be nearer a grist-mill ; but he had only one grist ground before the mill was destroyed by fire. No grist-mill has been built in the town since. The mills were located about a quarter of a mile below the outlet of the Lower Woods pond. In the year 1828, Robert Shields built a saw-mill at what is now known as Shieldsboro. The property has passed through different hands and is now owned by John H. Cassidy, of Damascus, but operated by Elias Stanton, of Honesdale. Some thirty-five years ago Stearns, Brothers & Dart ran a shop for the manufacture of shovel- handles, in connection with the mill. About the year 1845, Barker & Page, a New York

firm, built a steam mill on the west line of the town on the Newburg turnpike for manufac- turing oars for ship boats. Their works burned down twice and were rebuilt and run until the ash timber within reach was used. Notwith- standing their fires they were successful in a financial point of view. The next saw-mill was built by George N. Hamlin upon Big Brook, where he did a large, but not a very paying business, as he failed, and took the advice of Horace Greeley.

After the mill built by Parkinson was burned a man named Gibbon put up a factory for turning wooden-ware, but not meeting with success, left between the going down of the sun and the rising thereof.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

G. H. AND ROBBINS DOUGLASS.

John Douglass (1773-1842), a native of Vermont, and Silas Stevens, his brother-in-law, a native of the same place, settled near Cold Spring in Lebanon township, and across the line in Mount Pleasant township, Wayne County, in 1811. Stevens preceded Douglass, and bought quite a large tract of land, and upon Douglass' arrival let him have one hundred acres of this tract-the part in Lebanon town- ship, located on the Great Bend and Newburgh turnpike, reserving to himself the land in Mount Pleasant township adjoining. John Douglass began clearing off his land, and made what improvements he could before his death. He also engaged largely in tcaming to New- burgh on the Hudson, as that was the only route in those early days to convey goods, and the products of this new country to New York. Before leaving Vermont he had married Sybil Merrill (1774-1863), and had a small family of children. She was an exemplary Christian woman-a Methodist in religious persuasion- and reared her large family of children to guard carefully the principles of morality, virtue and right in all the relations of life. Both were interred at Rileysville. Their children are Robbins Douglass (1801-1876); Electa mar-

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WAYNE COUNTY.

ried Jacob Stocker; Nancy was the wife of John Rutledge, of Damascus; Clarissa is the wife of Setlı Yale, of Lebanon township ; Julia married Josiah Belknap, of Lebanon ; Eliza wife of Jesse Belknap, of Tompkins County, N. Y. ; Marilla, wife of David Belknap, of the same place; and Fanny, wife of William Balkcom, of Lebanon. Of this large family of children only Nancy and Clarissa survive in 1886.

men. He gave his active life to the improve- ment of his property, except as he was called upon to fill official place in the township of Lebanon as supervisor, school director and other places of trust in the interest of the people. He adhered to the principles of the old Whig party, and allied himself to the Re- publican party at its birth in 1855, ardently supporting its nominees for place.

His first wife, Hannah Balkcom (1805-1833),

ROBBINS DOUGLASS.

Robbins Douglass, only son of John and Sybil Douglass, inherited one hundred acres of his father's real estate-the original homestead- and in 1833 built the present residence, now occupied and owned by his son, Gates H. Douglass, together with most of the out-build- ings. He added by purchase during his life some three hundred and fifty acres of land, a part of which is situate in Mount Pleasant township, which at his death was divided among his children. He was a man of firm convictions, of unblemished character, good judgment and estecmed by his fellow towns-

bore him children-Hannah S., born in 1824, is the widow of the late John E. Yale, a farmer in Lebanon ; Fanny M. (1826-1862), was the wife of Edwin Gager, of Damascus ; Sally R., born in 1828, is the widow of Benjamin Hol- gate, of Damascus ; John was a farmer on a part of the homestead, was married and left one son ; Robbins born in 1833, is a merchant and farmer at Cold Spring, near the old homestead. By his second wife, Catherine Nelson, he had the following children : Gates Horatio, born February 18, 1839 ; Emily Eliza, born in 1842, wife of Henry Stevenson, a farmer of Rileys-

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WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

ville ; Martha Jane (1845-1883), was the wife of Lowell Goodenough, of West Lebanon ; Rhoda Samantha, born in 1846, is the wife of Jacob Welch, of Mount Pleasant ; and Clark Hanil (1849-1868), unmarried, resided on the homestead. The mother of these children was born in Dyberry township in 1808, and since the death of her husband, has resided mostly with her brother, John Nelson, now deceased,

provements thereon. His wife, Bridget Wheeler (1776-1825), bore him the following children : Elizabeth was the wife of Henry Brown, a farmer of Lebanon, where both died ; John (1800-1884) never married and resided on the homestead ; Rhoda was the wife of James C. Harvey, of Indiana, where both died; Eleanor was the wife of William Balkcom, of Lebanon, where both died and are buried in the Rileys-

Sates Ho Douglass

but now resides with her only surviving brother, ville cemetery ; Catherine the wife of the late Robbins Douglass, noticed herein ; Peter re- sided on the homestead and never married ; Stephen married and settled in Lebanon where he died ; James, a farmer in Nebraska ; Emily, wife of Osborn Mitchell, a farmer of Lebanon'; and Charles, born November 5, 1819, unmar- ried, and resides on a part of the old homestead. Charles Nelson, on a part of the old Nelson homestead on the Dyberry, in the township of the same name. Her mother was a sister of Conrad Pulis, a native of Germany, and an early settler in Wayne County. Catharine Nelson's father was Richard Nelson (1770- 1826), settled on the Dyberry in Dyberry township, opposite the " Big Eddy," in 1798, Gates Horatio Douglass succeeded to three hundred and fifty acres of the homestead where he owned some two hundred acres of land, most of which he cleared and made im- | property upon his father's death, a part of

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History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 102

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co. Number of Pages: 1438

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 1438