History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 113

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 113
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 113
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 113

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).

In 1869 J. S. Ames & Bros. erected a large frame mill at the corner of Fifteenth and Sev- cnteenth Streets. The building has three sto- ries and a basement, and is equipped with all modern machinery, driven by a sixty-four horse- power steam-engine. It has four "run " of stone, and a plant of the Brewster refining machinery, used chiefly in the production of the patent process buckwheat flour. In 1883 the firm was changed to J. S. Ames & Co., Jolin H. Amcs retiring, and G. W. Amcs coming in. This firm has also started a private banking-house, the first in the town. The latter enterprise was put into operation in July, 1885.

The Belmont and Nelson Mills, of Dexter, Lambert & Co., comprise what is by far the most important industry of Hawley, the manu- facture of silk goods, and give employment to

many hundred women and girls. These mills were erected in 1881, at a cost of one hundred and thirty thousand dollars, and occupy a ro- mantic spot on the east side of the Wallenpau- pack, just below the lower falls, where the water comes tumbling over the rocks a distance of sixty-one feet. On either side of the creek the banks are fringed with hemlock and laurels, and delicate ferns carpet the rough rocks, and the architecture of the mill is so in keeping with its surroundings that the picturesqueness of the place is increased by its presence. The building is a castellated structure of native stone, laid in ashler blocks, with cut-stone facings, and is built in the form of a Greek cross, so that it has a frontage of three hundred and sixty-four feet and a depth of forty-four feet in the arms, while that of the body is twenty. Just here the rocks that make its foundation slope rapidly down to the flat below, and its three stories at the up- per end are increased to five at the lower.

The great natural fall of the stream bed does away with the necessity for a dam, and the water is conducted from one side of the falls to the centre of the mill, where it moves a forty- five-inch turbine wheel with a head of sixty-one feet. This drives all the machinery of the mill and is unfailing at all seasons.

The Nelson Mill, which is just above the Bel- mont, is part of the same "throwing" plant, and is cighty by forty-four feet and three sto- ries high. Its machinery is driven by a thirty- one-inch turbine wheel. Both buildings are heated by steam and lighted by gas, electricity having been found unadapted to the diffused illumination required at the looms.

The work carried on here is what is teclini- cally known as " throwing," which includes all the processes through which hard silk passes after it has been reeled from the cocoon. The latter work is done in Italy and France, from whence the raw material comes. The mill lias forty thousand spindles, representing the finest and most complete plant of "throwing " machinery in the world.

Five hundred women and girls, ranging from eight to thirty years, are employed, and the an- nual disbursement for wages is about cighty thousand dollars. In 1883, in order to more

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WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

perfectly provide for its employees, the firm erected a large hotel, where the women and girls who have no homes in Hawley may board and be under the care and protection of a matron, who shields them from the temptations that have worked such disastrous results in other mill- towns. This hotel occupies a commanding po- sition on the hill just above the town, and has accommodations for fifty girls. It is commo- dious, well-appointed and handsomely fur- nished.

The firm of Dexter, Lambert & Co. is a lead- ing one in the silk business, and has, besides its mills at Hawley, similar establishments in New York and Paterson. Since the erection of the mill a large amount of adjacent property has been purchased, and it is probable that all the mills will be moved to Hawley in time. Mr. W. F. Suydam is the superintendent of both mills, and occupies a handsome residence adjoin- ing the Belmont.

THE POST-OFFICE .- The post-office at Haw- ley has passed through many vicissitudes since it was first established as Paupack Eddy, in 1837, with James S. Bassett as the first post- master. He was succeeded by Oren Hall and the office was then located on the west side of the Lackawaxen, in Mr. Hall's residence, and remained there until 1842, when Asher Atkin- son received the appointment, and held it for one year, giving place to William C. Conkling, who served until 1847. In that year the office was moved to what is now East Hawley, and the name was changed to Fallsport. Mr. Conkling was reappointed and the new office was located in his store. Here it remained until 1849, when Henry B. Hayes was ap- pointed, and the office went once more to the west side, to be known as Hawleysburgh. With the accession of Patrick Jordan to the post- mastership, some years after, the final syllable of the name was dropped, and the office, which had been located in Mr. Hayes' dry-goods store, corner of Fifteenth and Twentieth Streets, was moved to the establishment of Mr. Jordan, on the corner of Fourteenth and Thirty-first Streets. In 1860 Hugh Cole was appointed, and moved the office to the Wayne County House, of which he was at that time proprietor.

It remained there but three months, when his appointment was recalled and Joseph Harden- burg succeeded him. Once more the office was moved, this time to a store near the corner of Fourteenth and Eighteenth Streets, to remain until the spring of 1861, when E. Richardson, Jr., was appointed, and took it to Seventh Street, between First and Second. In 1865 it was again moved to the Pennsylvania Coal Company's station, now used as the Erie depot, where it remained for two years and was trans- ferred to the freight depot opposite, Marcus Bishop having been appointed to succeed Mr. Richardson. Mr. Bishop's deputy was George Ammerman, and the latter took the office two years later, and is the present incumbent. In 1871 the Pennsylvania Coal Company built the present post-office, and it was refitted by the postmaster in 1883. Though small, it is con- veniently located near the centre of the town, and is well appointed.

In 1851, after the office had been removed to the west side of the river, there was so much dissatisfaction that the government finally established a second office on the east side, and gave it the name of East Hawley. It was located in the Ewen House, and E. Richardson was the postmaster, serving until 1855, when the office was discontinued by Postmaster-Gen- eral Campbell.

SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES .- In the fall of the year 1822, James Wheeling opened a pri- vate school in an old log house, which had been built nearly a score of years before by Jonathan Brink. Wheeling had a dozen pupils, of whom three were returned by the assessor as too poor to pay for their own schooling. The Brinks, the Atkinsons, the Comptons and one or two other families were the most prominent patrons, and employed James W. Barry to carry on the school a second year. It succeeded so well that its patronage continued until the school law was adopted, in 1834. In 1822-23 the school-house now used by J. S. Fowler as a paint shop was built, and the first teacher was either Jesse Goodwin or Courtland Chapman. The school was also kept in operation until the State took hold of educational matters, and the building was one of the first public schools in the township.

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WAYNE COUNTY.

Until a very few years ago the common school afforded the only educational facilities in Hawley ; but in 1879 an agitation that had been commenced some years before bore fruit in the establishment of a graded school, which now has eight departments. The building is of frame, sixty by ninety feet, with an "L" of the same size, and is two stories high. It is heated by furnaces and otherwise well appointed, and cost seventeen thousand dollars. In the higher department, Latin, science and higher mathe- matics are taught, and a diploma awarded to those who complete the regular course. The average attendance has been from seven to eight hundred ever since the school was established, and eight teachers are employed. The first principal was L. A. Freeman, who held the position two years, and was succeeded by A. S. Barnes, who remained one year. He was suc- ceeded by E. H. Bottsford, the present princi- pal, who has entered upon his duties for the third term. The present board of directors is as follows : E. Evans, president ; Isadore Karstner, Secretary ; John Winess,1 treasurer ; Joseph Atkinson, J. H. Murphey, Manley Oram. The tax of the borough for school purposes is about sixteen hundred dollars per annum.

The first religious meetings in Hawley were held in private houses, and probably by some of the early Christian workers whose names are given elsewhere as laborers in the field opened up by the settlement of Wayne County. It is probable that the Baptists were the first to es- tablish regular worship at an appointed time, and this they conducted in the old school-house long before there was any congregation organ- ized. The first religious society in what is now the borough of Hawley was the Paupack Eddy Baptist Church, now the Hawley Baptist Church, and Rev. Henry Curtis, pastor of the Bethany Church, was the first Baptist minister who preached in the town, in January, 1833.

THE PAUPACK EDDY BAPTIST CHURCH was recognized by a council of ministers from Beth- any, Clinton, Damascus and Palmyra Churches convened for the purpose November, 1834.

The society had eighteen members,-seven males and eleven females. The next year Mr. John Capron preached to the congregations, the meet- ings being held in a school-house. On July 9, 1835, delegates were appointed to attend an As- sociation which was to convene in the Septem- ber following, at Damascus, with a request for admission. Rev. Henry Curtis officiated occa- sionally from 1833 to 1838, and during this time the total membership, as reported to the Association, was twenty-four. In 1838 Mr. George V. Walling served the church for a part of the time, and in the autumn of 1840, Rev. D. F. Leach, pastor of the church at Ten-Mile Run, divided his labors there with those at Pau- pack Eddy. Under his care, the church pros- pered greatly. In the fall of 1843 the total membership was fifty-six, and in 1844 Rev. Mr. Leach resigned.

In 1845 the present church edifice was erected. Mr. Harvey H. Gray, a licentiate from Bridge- water Association, succeeded Mr. Leach. M. M. Everett followed in 1847, and Rev. J. P. Stalbird in 1848. Rev. L. L. Still served one year, from 1852. Rev. Sanford Leach followed Mr. Stalbird, Rev. J. B. Case laboring with him, both dividing their labors between three churches besides this at Paupack Eddy. At the close of the year J. B. Case was chosen pastor, and served until the elose of the year 1853. From 1856 to 1861 the Paupack Eddy Churchı was supplied with preaching from the surround- ing Baptist Churches. In May, 1861, Rev. H. Curtis was formally called to the pastorate and continued till the time of his death, in 1867. The first mention of trustees on the records of this church is on April 16, 1865 ; the trustecs then were John Millham, M. W. Cole, George B. Curtis, William Cromwell and John Atkinson. In September, 1870, the name of this church was changed to Hawley Baptist Church. The names of ministers serving this church from 1867 are Elder B. Miller, Elder Earle and his son, I. N. Earle, Elder Bohan, Elder Mctler, E. M. Jerold and the present pastor, A. J. Ad- anıs. Number of members at present, ninety.

THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF HAWLEY, PA .- The First Presbyterian Church of Hawley was organized on November 25,

1 Deceased.

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WAYNE, PIKE, AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

1849, by the Rev. Burr Baldwin, who was laboring as a missionary within the bounds of the Presbytery of Montrose. Those who united with the new organization as members were Isaac Beardslee and Catharine, his wife, Joseph Brown and Laura, his wife, John Newman and Ann, his wife, who presented letters of member- ship from the Honesdale Presbyterian Church ; Alfred Brown joining on profession of faith. On the same day and at the same service Joseph Brown was elected by the church and ordained by the missionary as a ruling elder. The nanies of the other elders who have served the church since its organization are John Decker, E. G. Coutant, Abraham Eade, John Nyce, S. Z. Lord, Joseph Solliday, Alyn Babcock and M. M. Treadwell, the last five being still in office.

The church has been ministered to by the following pastors and stated supplies : i.e., Rev. E. W. Stoddard, stated supply from De- cember, 1852, to November, 1855 ; Rev. Henry Van Houton, pastor from January, 1857, to January, 1866 ; Rev. W. A. Dunning, stated supply for six months, beginning May, 1866 ; Rev. H. Van Houton then became stated supply and continued to serve in that capacity till 1871 ; Rev. Wright C. Galpin became stated supply in 1872, serving for five years; Rev. Arthur Folsom next supplied the church for about two years, when the Rev. Charles S. Dunning, D.D., late of Honesdale, accepted an invitation to supply them, discharging the duty for a year and a half.

Mr. W. C. Hawthorn, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Lackawanna, acted as stated sup- ply for nearly two years, up to May, 1883. The present pastor, Rev. R. H. Craig, accepted a unanimous call from the church and congre- gation, and entered on his labors as a pastor on April 1, 1884. The number of members who have been at any time in connection with the church is one hundred and seventy-two, the present membership being about sixty.

The church property consists of a commodious house of worship free of debt, a fine parsonage standing on the adjoining lot, with garden, barn, etc.

The congregation is in a prosperous condition

at the present time, with an active Sabbath- school, a ladies' missionary society, an energetic board of elders and trustees and a devoted pas- tor.

THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH Was organized in November, 1849, by Rev. F. Morse, then pastor at Lackawaxen, Abraham Snyder being the first class leader.

The services were at first held in school- rooms, but later, until the erection and dedica- tion of the present church edifice, during the pastorate of Rev. C. E. Taylor, the society oc- cupied an unfinished brick store, the property of Mr. Bernstein, which, as a hall, was more convenient as a place of worship.

The following-named persons were duly ap- pointed pastors of the Hawley Church, and served in the order in which their names oc- cur : Revs. A. Brooks, J. B. Cooper, C. E. Taylor, C. L. Rice, B. B. Emory, George W. Giddings, L. Cole, N. S. DeWitt, D. A. Shep- ard, J. F. Wilbur, C. V. Arnold, W. W. Welsh, H. G. Harned, N. S. Reynolds, E. F. Roberts, J. B. Newell, J. F. Williams, P. R. Tower, W. B. Westlake and J. V. Newell for a second term.

The church edifice was erected and dedicated under the direction of Rev. C. E. Taylor; was repaired and enlarged during the pastoral terni of N. S. Reynolds, and again repaired and otherwise beautified through the untiring efforts of W. B. Westlake. The repairs of the par- sonage are still in progress.

The church grounds and parsonage now con- stitute a very convenient and really beautiful church property, occupying a quarter of a block in a pleasant locality nearly central in the town.

The society has enjoyed frequent and exten- sive revivals of religion, and has been usually prosperous and harmonious. The membership is large, considering the population of the town, and the services well attended.

ST. PHILOMEN'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CONGRE- GATION was organized in 1852, by Rev. William O'Hara, at present Right Rev. Bishop of the diocese of Scranton. After a year's work in the field, Father O'Hara was succeeded by Rev. Moses Whitty, now of Scranton, and Vicar-

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General of the diocese of that city. Under his ministrations the congregation increased in strength and zeal, and has since started a num- ber of missions in townsadjacent. Father Whitty was, in 1865, succeeded by R. M. Filan, now of the Church of the Annunciation, Philadel- phia, who remained but a short time. The next pastor was Rev. B. McCallum, who remained for five years. Toward the close of this period he went on a mission to Rome, and died there. Rev. John P. O'Malley, the present pastor, was his suceessor. During the ministration of Rev. Father Whitty the present church edifice was erected. At that time it was ample for the congregation, but now it is inadequate, and will be pulled down and replaced with an imposing stone structure at an early date. The societies attached to St. Philomen's are the Catholic Benevolent Association, an insurance organiza- tion for members of the faith. The Compa- triots of the Holy Rosary, Sodality and Father Mathew Societies. The latter are de- voted to the furtherance of good morals. At- tached to this congregation are the missions of St. Mary's, at Ledgedale; St. Joseph's, at White Mills ; St. Patrick's, at Milford; and St. Mary's of the Assumption, at Lackawaxen, each of which is referred to in the chapter de- voted to the locality where it is situated.

THE GERMAN EVANGELICAL CHURCH of Hawley was founded by a number of German families in 1853. Among its first members were Father Warj, Jacob Keller, Geo Schlager, Geo. Grosbinder, John Dittman and Fred. Vicines. The first pastor was Rev. Fred. Baur Tellee, under whom the church was commenced in 1859. In 1860 Rev. Mr. Frankfort was ealled, and under him the edifice now in use on Church Street was completed. It cost four thousand dollars, and was built without contracting a debt. The present pastor, Rev. John U. Wagner, was called in 1873, and under his ministration the congregation has been considerably enlarged. The present membership is nearly two hundred. The congregation is an independent one, sub- ject to no synod, and its teachings are " liberty of belief and conscience, with rational and scientific interpretation and application of the Bible, and the basis of happiness, the moral

universal, commenced by Moses and perfected by Jesus Christ."

There is a flourishing Sunday-school with eighty or ninety scholars connected with the church.

LODGES, FRATERNITIES, ETC .- The Hawley Lodge, No. 2207, Knights of Honor, was in- stituted May 7, 1880, by G. L. Field, D. G. D., with the following list of twenty-five charter members : Officers,-F. H. Hardenburgh, P. D .; M. M. Treadwell, D .; H. Reafler, V. D .; J. K. Terwiliger, A. D .; D. Daniels, R .; P. Davis, F. R .; M. W. Simons, T .; William Bigart, C .; M. Turner, Guide; S. S. Speers, G .; J. Deeker, S. Members,-H. P. Wood- ward, L. Phillips, G. W. Lake, F. B. Pellett, E. H. Demming, H. A. Plum, S. Avery, F. Nell, M. Oram, W. H. Mills, J. L. Ford, A. B. Haperman, J. T. Rodman, Wm. Decker.

The lodge has distributed to its beneficiaries four thousand dollars upon the death of two of its members. It has grown to a membership of sixty ; is in a flourishing condition, and ranks well with the organizations of the day.

Hawley Lodge, No. 305, F. and A. M., was or- ganized 1857, with the following charter meni- bers : Wm. L. Hawley, Stewart, Oscar Freeman, Henry J. Tarball, Edward M. Spencer, George F. Wilber, Emery Teusdrell, James Balf, Gilbert Alexander, William Hapemam, E. A. Esterline, John Spencer, G. H. Harden- burgh, Randal Williams, A. Griswold and David Bishop. The following officers were elected for the year 1885, and installed on St. John's Day, 27th of December, 1884 : Brother Walter J. Shelly, W. M .; Gaston W. Nanes, S. W .; Isador H. Levine, J. W .; Jolin H. Ames, Treasurer ; Wm. D. Curtis, Secretary. Trustees, Wm. L. Overton, Morvelden Pluni and Wm. D. Curtis. Past Masters, Wm. D. Curtis, N. R. Harkins, James Millham, John J. Baisden, John H. Ames, William L. Overton, Morvelden Plum, James T. Rod- man, Mordecai W. Simons, Reuben T. Ames, H. A. Plum, Isador Kastner, Wm. A. Gregg, Wm. Schardt, M. M. Teedwell.

Lackawaxen Lodge I. O. O. F., No. 667, was instituted at Hawley, May 18, 1869, with the following officers : M. Kellerman, N. G .;

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WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

M. Reafler, V. G .; G. Hittinger, R. C .; Charles Sehardt, A. S. ; Frederick Nell, Treas- urer. There were nineteen charter members, and the meetings are held each Monday uight, at Teeter's Hall. The lodge owns property to the amount of twenty-four hundred dollars, and is in a prosperous condition. The present of- ficers are Frederick Schalm, Jr., N. G. ; John Rominger, V. G .; C. Buck, R. C .; John Weinss,1 A. S. ; R. Teeter, treasurer.

Wayne Council, No. 127, of the American Legion of Honor, was instituted March 19, 1880, with the following officers : James Rod- man, Commauder ; F. B. Pellett, Vice-Com- mander ; George M. Wilson, Past Commander ; E. R. Kalbfus, Chaplain ; H. A. Plum, Medical Examiner ; Jacob Heiss, Collector ; George M. Wilson, Treasurer ; E. H. Hemming, Secretary ; J. E. Mandevill, Orator ; J. S. Hecker, Guide ; G. C. Blossom, Warden ; A. L. Bishop, Sentry. There were twenty-four charter members, and the fraternity has increased largely. Only one death has occurred in this council.

The present officers are Samuel Geary, Com- mander ; John Bell, Vice-Commander ; G. W. Buckland, Chaplain; H. A. Plum, Medical Examiner ; G. W. B. Allen, Collector; Simeon Brink, Treasurer ; Ashier Atkinson, Secretary ; James Keen, Guide ; J. M. Owen, Warden ; and Lewis Barnard, Sentry.

The Hawley Mannerchor was organized Feb- rnary 5, 1874, with the following charter members :

R. Warg, Sr.

John Weinss.

M. Reafler.

Frank Schroeder.

Alexius F. Voigt.

H. Reafler.

Ch. S. Gelbert.

Fr. W. Schalm.

Wm. Lyon.

John Glass.

V. Gilbert.

Fred. Nell.

August Brunner. Ph. Hein.

Jacob Zeller, Sr.

G. Barhon.

John Kellerman.

C. Burk.

John Hoehn.

Jacob Siedler.

Ernst Vogler.

Jacob Schmidt.

John Threlcke.

Fr. Seidler.

Wm. Schardt.

Ch. H. Schardt.

The society owns a fine park on the moun- tain, just outside of the town, and has it fitted up for musical and social events. The present

officers are F. W. Schalm, president ; H. Reafler, vice-president ; R. Warg, secretary ; John Glass, treasurer ; J. H. A. Peterson, condnetor ; G. Albrecht, archiver (librarian). The society mects for practice every Thursday evening in Snyder's Hall.

A Father Mathews Society was organized in Hawley in March, 1878, with a membership of twenty-five, which increased in two months to forty-five. It continued to flourish until the autumn of 1883, when there was a split in the society, and the dissenters formed a new society in what is now outside of Hawley borough. In the spring of 1884 the society proper changed into a Literary Society, having now a member- ship of forty, with the following-named officers, to wit : President, P. H. McAndrew ; Vice- President, E. J. Richardson ; Corresponding Secretary, T. F. Kelly ; Receiving Secretary, P. Neylon ; Treasurer, William M. Slattery ; Sergeant-at-Arms, M. J. Howley. Meetings first and third Sundays in each mouth at Kim- ble's Hall ; public entertainments by the inem- bers about twice a year. Several temperance societies have existed for brief periods in Haw- ley ; at present the Woman's Christian Temper- ance Union is the only society for carrying for- ward the work of temperance reform.

JOURNALISTIC VENTURES IN HAWLEY .- On May 23, 1851, a weekly paner was started in Hawley called The Hawley Chronicle, being edited and published by Robert Denton, wlio had been connected previously with the Journal at Ellenville, N. Y. It was neutral in politics and religion. It was in folio form, the size of each page being fifteen and a half by twenty-one and three-quarters inches. Subscription price, $1.50 per annum. Mr. Denton continued its pub- lication to October 10, 1851 (or until the general election of that year), when the publication ceased for want of sufficient support-the circu- lation being about four hundred copies. Mr. Denton went from Hawley to Addison, N. Y., where he started a paper called the Addison Journal. In September, 1881, he was still alive and residing at Jersey City Heiglits.

The second attempt to publish and maintain a paper in Hawley was made by Chas K. Beardslee, formerly publisher of a German

1 Deceased.

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WAYNE COUNTY.

paper in Honesdale. In August, 1863, he re- moved the press and material, which had been used on the German paper, from Hones- dale to Hawley, and fitted up an office with its aid, and on the 4th of September, 1863, issued the first number of a weekly paper called the Hawley Free Press. It was published in quarto form (cight pages), each page being nine by twelve and a half inches. Mr. Beardslee con- tinued as cditor until December 1, 1883, when he sold out to Jacob Smethers, who, on January 1, 1884, changed its form to a folio of six columns to the page, each page being fourteen by nineteen and a half inches. The subscrip- tion was $1.50 in advance, or two dollars at the end of the year. On the 6th of February, 1864, Mr. Smethers sold out to F. A. Dony, who con- tinned its management until June, 1865, when he sold to C. B. Cotter. Mr. Cotter had charge of it until February 9, 1866, when Mr. Dony again became its manager, and after issuing three numbers in that month, suspended its publica- tion. He then removed the press, type, etc., to Honesdale, and there commenced the publi- cation of the Eleventh District Monitor. The entire period of the publication of the Free Press was two and a half years, during which time it changed properties four times.

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History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 113

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