History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 128

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 128
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 128
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 128

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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hauling machinery and supplies from Honesdale to the various stations along the line of the new railroad. The work of construction was completed in 1849, and John B. Smith, the company's effi- cient general manager from the beginning, placed Giles Greene in charge of the stationary engine at inclined plane No. 19, with supervision of the local freight traffic and other interests of the company at that point. This village, which soon grew up about their station, was known for many years

L., one of the comely daughters of Colonel Jacob Schenck, of that town.

Colonel Schenck was the only son of General John H. Schenck, one of the six children of Henry Schenck, who came from Holland to America in the year 1720. Henry Schenck's father was Johann I. Schenck, who lived and died in Hol- land. Gertrude, a sister of General John H. Schenck, was the wife of General Frederick Fre- linghuysen, whose second son, Theodore, attained

Geles Greene

simply as "No. 19," but later on it took the name of the post-office " Ariel," and, still later, is equal- ly well known as "Jones' Lake,"-the name of a beautiful sheet of water, on the northern shore · of which the village lies, and which has, of late years, rendered the place popular and famous as a summer resort.

While the young man was still teaming from Honesdale, he boarded at the farm house of J. P. Darling at Cherry Ridge, and it was here that he first met his destiny in the person of Harriet

distinction as a lawyer, as chancellor of the College of New Jersey, and as Vice-presidential nominee, with Henry Clay, on the Whig ticket of 1844. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, John H. Schenck placed his entire fortune by inherit- ance, amounting to some twelve or fifteen thou- sand dollars, into the hands of General George Washington, as a Revolutionary fund, and, enter- ing the army as a private, came out of it, at the close of the war, with the rank of major general. In 1796 he came from Newburg, N. Y., the an-

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cestral home of his family, and located on a tract of land in Cherry Ridge township. He died at his residence in Canaan, Wayne County, March 5, 1845, at the age of ninety-one years. His son, Jacob, remained on the Cherry Ridge property to the time of his death, which occurred April 26, 1846.

Colonel Jacob Schenck had eleven children, of whom Harriet was the youngest but one. She was born at Cherry Ridge, January 14, 1827, and led the quiet life of a farmer's daughter and a village school-mistress until the young teamster crossed her path in the energetic search for his bread and his fortune. In February, 1850, Giles was called upon to act as best man for Harriet's youngest brother. Isaac R., who was, at that time married to Rebecca Bonear, and Giles and Harriet " stood up " with the bride and groom. The effect was. presumably a happy one, for, on the afternoon of Saturday, September 21st of the same year, after his day's work at stationary engine No. 19 was done, the young engineer donned his best suit of clothes, mounted his fleetest horse, and made all haste toward the residence of Colonel Jacob Schenck in Cherry Ridge town, some eight miles away. Before the assembled guests sat down to supper that night Giles and Harriet had stood be fore the Rev. Darwin Chichester, and promised love and fealty to each other until death should them part. On the 18th of the following Novem- ber the young couple began house-keeping in the only frame dwelling house in the clearing at No. 19. The first day of May has had no terrors for them-they have never moved. The same roof that arched above them in the brighter days of their honeymoon has sheltered them from the snows and rains of five and thirty years. In those early days at No. 19 the thick forest that sur- rounded the settlement and hid even the waters of the lake from view, abounded in wild beasts and birds of many kinds. The dismal hooting of the owl and barking of the fox at night, varied with the rumble of the cars and the puffing of the steam-engine by day. Not infrequently were the bear's tracks seen in the soft snow at Candlemas, and once as the young wife looked out at her door, a noble buck came out from the forest's edge, close by, and stood gazing with wide eyes on the dusky lines of moving cars and the white clouds of

ascending steam, and then, turning, walked slowly back into the shadows of the fast disappearing woods.

It was here, as time passed on and the village grew, that Giles Greene spent the uneventful years, holding steadfastly to his work, practicing all the economy consistent with good cheer and good charity, contented with his lot, happy with his wife and children, and rejoicing in the love of labor as well as the labor of love. His political convictions were strong and well backed by both word and deed. He embraced, with en- thusiasm, the political principles of the Republi- can party at its birth, and was largely instru- mental in the organization and perpetuation of that party in Wayne County. In the stirring times that preceded the war he was active and outspoken, and when war came he left nothing undone to cheer and encourage those who went down to the battle-field and to comfort their fami- lies at home. He was one of the leaders in plan- ning ways and means for Wayne County's share in the struggle, and not only planned but devel- oped.

In 1861 he was appointed postmaster by Presi- dent Lincoln, and established the post-office at his residence, where it remained until the incoming of the Johnson administration and the change of the executive policy of the government. By reason of his position of postmaster he was relieved from the operation of the draft, and was never drafted, but feeling that he had not yet measured up to his full duty to his country he went to Harris- burg in 1863 and procured a substitute to fight in his place, paying therefore one thousand dollars of his hard-earned money. In the fall of 1864 the Pennsylvania Coal Company recognized his faith- ful service and ability by making him their gen- eral lumber agent, which position he held until the fall of 1873. In this capacity he had charge of the purchase, manufacture and shipment of the immense quantities of lumber used by the company

. in the building of their coal-breakers and the opening of their mines during the era of prosperity that succeeded the war. In 1870 hie purchased of Butler Hamlin about eight hundred acres of land, mostly well timbered, near No. 17, including the Leonard Saw-Mill property, and since then has been actively engaged in the manufacture and sale

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of his own lumber until within a very recent period. During this time his steam saw-mill has been twice destroyed by fire and twice rebuilt.

For many years he served the public as school director in Salem township, and for two terms, of five years each, he was justice of the peace. In the fall of 1876 he was elected, on the Republican ticket, to the office of associate judge of the courts of Wayne County ; the Hon. Michael Brown, who was elected five years later to the same position, being his opponent. The fact that at that time the usual Democratic majority in the county was from five to seven hundred, attests, to some extent, his popularity. He was on the bench during the celebrated anti-court-house struggle, and though the exigencies of the bitter and exciting contest re- quired large judgment and great firmness on the part of the judiciary, no word was spoken by any party against the ultimate wisdom, integrity and fairness of his judicial action, and he retired from the bench at the close of his term with the hearty respect and good will of all. His labor, foresight and economy have gained for him a handsome competence, and his kindly manner, pure living and upright, Christian conduct have made a warm place for him in the hearts of his neighbors and friends. The measure of Judge Greene's success in life is due, nevertheless, in no small degree to the intelligent counsel and devoted assistance of his wife, a woman of more than ordinary strength of character and intellectual attainment, and of fine, poetic feeling, but withal, of the most quiet, do- mestic habits and unselfish devotion to her house- hold and family. They have two children, Susan S., born November 6, 1851, who is married to J. W. Sandercock, a merchant doing business at Ariel; and Homer, born January 10, 1853, a member of the Wayne County bar, residing at Honesdale.

Judge Greene has recently retired from active business, but rarely goes far from his home. His vigorous frame, his white hair and beard and his kindly face are a familiar picture to the residents and visitors at Jones' Laxe. Surrounded with scenes familiar to him by daily contact through the best and longest period of his life, he enjoys the comforts of declining years and looks calmly ahead to the quiet of a serene old age.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

STERLING TOWNSHIP.

STERLING was set off from Salem April 25, 1815, and Dreher, including Lehigh, was taken therefrom Sept. 7, 1877. It is bounded north by Salem, northeast by Greene, southeast by Dreher, south by Lehigh and west by Madison, Lack- awanna County. The Webster, Wilcox and Hornbaker runs flow into Hartford's pond and the Butternut and Mill Creeks into the Paupack. There are no lakes. There is a range of hills along the western side of the township that form the water-shed between the Paupack and Roaring Brook. Sterling is broken by hills and valleys and well adapted for grazing and the cultivation of such crops as grow in Wayne County. George D. Lee, John Gilpin, Lyman Noble and some others have large maple groves where much maple sugar is made. Henry Stevens, a Hol- lander, married an English woman and settled on the North and South road on a little hill near the Butternut about one half mile south of Noble Hill. In 1800 he was taxed as a laborer and in 1803 paid taxes on two hundred acres of land. He had received a good education in his native country, was an honest, upright man, and a mem- ber of the first Congregational Church organized in Wayne County, in Salem, in 1808. His chil- dren were Valentine, who married Sally Frasier and lived on part of the homestead ; Jane, wife of Charles Cliff; George, who married Rachel Weeks; Nicholas, married to Nancy Catterson ; Mary and Martha, successively wives of William Catterson ; Ann, wife of John Catterson, and Henry, who married Sarah Dobell and lived on the homestead. These settlers are nearly all dead, but have left a numerous offspring who are among the active farmers and business men of Sterling and adjoining . townships. When Jane was eight years old and George six they were lost in the woods. Mr. Stevens rallied what few neighbors he had and searched far and wide, but did not find them till the fourth day, near the Lackawanna County line. While they were lost the pious old Hollander prayed in broken English, " Lord Gott, give me mein kinder und Ich starb

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in ein minut." (Give me my children and I will die in a minute.)

John Clements came to Sterling about 1804 or 1805 and first settled where Samuel Bortree's mill now is. He sold this place in 1810 to Benjamin Beach, and located on the place now occupied by his son-in-law, William Edward Bortree, near Zion Church. His children were Hiram, a black- smith, who lived in Salem; John P. Clements, who lives in Minnesota and Thomas and William who are in Stroudsburg.

Captain Phineas Howe came fromn Connecticut about 1802 and first settled or squatted in Dreher, on the flats near Thomas Madden's home. He and Denman Coe, William Akers and Gabriel Davis probably cleared a portion of what was af- terwards called the Dutch Flats He settled in Howe's Valley about 1810. He built a log tavern under the Cliff or Howe Mountain, on the old State road, which ran about one half mile west of the present locality. The road was more con- venient formerly than at present, but the Captain had its course changed because by some arrange- ment with the government he was to have land lying west for working it. He thus obtained bet- ter land. After this he built a large tavern on the road, which burned down about 1826, and became a large land-holder. When the North and South road was the main thoroughfare from Philadelphia to Easton northward into New York State, Howe's tavern was a noted stopping place. In fact taverns situated eight or ten miles apart on this road resembled railroad sta- tions of the present day. Captain Howe married Lepha Hall, his children living being Phineas, who remained on the homestead and succeeded his father in the business. He was once associate judge of Wayne County, and married Mary Ann Hewitt, who is still living, aged seventy-six. Their children were Lepha Angeline, wife of Roswell Noble, who lives on the old place,-Morilla, who was unmarried ; Emeline, wife of Theodore Brod- head, of Delaware Water Gap; Hewitt, who mar- ried Emeline Noble and lives at Nobletown ; Elbert, who died unmarried ; Windsor M., who married Emily Lamson ; Almeron, who married Orra Hamlin, was register and recorder of Wayne County and a member of the Legislature and Mary, wife of Eugene Brodhead. Almeron and

his sister Mary possessed fine voices and took a prominent part in musical conventions and can- tatas.

(2). Abram, another son of Captain Howe, located about one mile west of his father.

(3). James Woodbridge married Polly, lived in Sterling a while and afterward removed to the West.

(4). Sarah was the wife of Ezra Wall.

Captain Hamilton Avery married Elsie and lived in Salem neighbor to Albert Stocker till 1854, when he moved to Illinois.

Orlando Avery, the oldest son, was a soldier in the war of the Rebellion ; after its close took a soldier's claim to one hundred and sixty acres in Nebraska ; subsequently purchased six hundred and forty acres more and is farming extensively.

Burrowes Lee was a farmer in Ireland. His children were Dawson, James, John, Thomas, Simon and George. Thomas Lee sailed from Belfast, Ireland, in the ship George, August 17, 1815, and arrived in New York October 15. He came to Sterling and settled on the Newfoundland turnpike one half mile southeast of Thomas Bor- tree, Sr. He married Maria Allen. His chil- dren were William A. Lee, an honest bach- elor, who bought the Asa Dickinson im- provement and owns the Patten saw mill on the Paupack, adjoining his farm. John H. Lee lives about one mile west of Nobletown. George, one of the original brothers, was a flori- culturist and built a log house on the Pucker Street road, in Salem. On the opposite side of the road from his cabin there is a beautiful ledge of rocks supporting a hill which sheltered him from the northwest winds. He planted balsams and two rows of locusts in front and had shrub- bery and flowers For years after the house was tenantless and fell into decay though the flowers bloomed and made it one of the most romantic places in the township. He went to California and was lost on the Pacific in the ship Central America.

Dawson Lee settled on the Newfoundland turn- pike. His children were John, a bachelor; George W. Lee, who was justice of the Peace for a number of years: Dawson W. Lee, who lives near Paupack forks, in Salem; Anna Jane, who

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is the wife of Lyman Noble ; Thomas M., Robert J. and William F., who all moved elsewhere ..

Simon Lee married Mary, a daughter of John Clements. He settled on the place now owned by John Simons. Burrowes lived on the present George D. Lee place : Harriet E. married Alonzo Bortree; John C .; Mary Ann, wife of Doctor Loomis and Sarah J., wife of David C. Perry, live in Susquehanna County ; Simon C. Lee lives in Jersey City and George D. Lee is a leading farmer in Sterling. Sally Lee came from Ireland with her children and lived with her son Thomas to the advanced age of eighty-five. Dawson Lee was a stone-cutter and a shrewd, witty man.

SIMONS .- There were six Simons brothers and one sister who came to Greene and Sterling town- ships at an early date. Their names were Joseph, Fannie, Abram, James, Thomas, Richard and Henry.

(1). Joseph married Mary Hazleton and set- tled in Greene, Pike County. His children were Edward, a blacksmith, who located in Pike County ; Elizabeth, the wife of sheriff J. Buck- ley, of Luzerne County ; William, a wheelwright ; Mary Ann, Frances, Charlotte, Joseph, Thomas and Jane moved away.

(2). Fannie became the wife of Edward Cross, who came to Sterling about 1808 and settled about one and one-half miles east of Nobletown, on the place now occupied by Thomas Cross, one of his sons. His children were Robert, James, Judith, William, Mary Ann, Rachael, Thomas, Jemimah, Elizabeth and Frances Jane Cross. These children are all dead but Thomas and Jemimah. They married and raised families.

James Cross settled near the homestead and married Mary Ripp. His children are Samuel, Albert and Joseph, who constitute the firm of Cross Bros. merchants at Nobleville.

(3.) Abram Simons was killed by the falling of a limb when building the North and South road. He settled in what is now Dreher, near the Wal- lenpaupack. His wife and family moved to Philadelphia after his death.

(4.) James Simons located in Greene. His child- ren were Silas, who moved to Philadelphia and learned the tailor's trade ; Henry, a wheelwright, who moved to New Orleans. By his second wife James' children were George B., of Dreher ; Wil-

liam, of Salem; Abram, Jabez, Thomas, James and Samuel, of Greene ; Elizabeth, Frances and Mary.

(5.) Richard Simons came to Philadelphia from Tyrone, Ireland, in 1806, and to Greene township about 1807 or 1808, where he bought two hundred acres of land, partly paid for it and gave a mort- gage for the balance. He returned to Philadel- phia, and worked at nail-making when they were cut by horse-power and headed by hand. He moved into Greene, with his family, about 1819, paying four dollars per hundred to have his goods brought. They came by way of Easton and Stroudsburg, and probably by the old Wissemore road. John Simons, who gave the . writer these facts, was then an infant in his mother's arms. She rode on horseback, while her husband fol- lowed behind. After living in Greene about seven years, he moved to the place now owned by his son William, just south of Zion Church. His children were Eliza, wife of John H. Bortree ; John Simons, who married Ann Dobson and lives on the Simon Lee place ; Annette, wife of Oatley Harding; Lewis Simons, who has a saw-mill on the Butternut; George W., Frances, Catharine and Richard, of Salem, and there mentioned, William, who has the homestead, and Mary, wife of Gabriel Walrath. The Simons are a hardy, industrious and prolific family.

BORTREE .- There is a tradition in the Bortree family that their ancestor in Ireland was a found- ling not many generations back, and found under a bush something like our elder called bore tree ; hence the name, Bortree. Their family is pre- sumably the only family of that name to be found. However little the name is known elsewhere, it is not uncommon in Sterling and Dreher. There were four brothers in Ireland-Robert, Thomas, John and Simon. Robert came first, about 1806, and will be noticed in the history of Dreher. Thomas Bortree, Sr., came to Sterling May 7, 1808, and settled not far from the Paupack. He lived to be eighty-four years of age, and his wife, whose maiden name was Ann Hazleton, was ninety-nine years and nine months old. Their children were William, who settled below Moscow ; Simon, who settled about one half-mile east of Nobletown ; Rebecca, wife of Abram Howe; Susanna, wife of J. R. Gilpin, who lived =in

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Dreher ; Dawson, who settled in the southi part of Salem, near the Paupack forks; John H. re- mained on the homestead; Allan, Mary Ann, Elizabeth and Alonzo all located near the home- stead; lastly, John Bortree's widow (Maria) came from Ireland, with her two sons, Thomas and Robert, and two daughters, Maria, wife of John Phillips, and Ann, wife of James Carruth, who located in Sterling and vicinity. She died June 10, 1864, aged ninety-six. Simon married an elderly lady of some means in Ireland, and was assassinated when riding in his carriage. Robert Bortree went to Ireland and brought back money from his estate to the brothers here.

David Noble married Sarah Grummond and came to Sterling about 1816. He bought a large tract of land and settled on Noble Hill, or at Noblesville, which was founded by him and his sons. William T. Noble, a brother of David, came to Sterling in November, 1821, shortly after built the first store at Nobletown, where B. E. Hamlin's store now stands, and engaged in mercantile pursuits for nineteen years, when he sold to James M. Noble and William E Hamlin in 1840, who conducted the business in partner- ship for twenty-four years In 1864 Thomas M. Noble became partner in his father's place, which partnership continued till 1869, when William E. Hamlin and his son, B. E. Hamlin, took charge of the business.

David Noble built a store in 1827 at Noble- town in the house now occupied by John Wil- liams, and continued business till 1831, when he died, and the store was converted into a dwelling. Isaac F. Megargel built a store in Nobleville in 1861, which was occupied by Ernest Stevens for a few years, and is now occupied by Cross Brothers, who have recently completed a large, new struc- ture. Dr. Charles E. Burr was the first resident physician, but did not remain. The people have generally sent to Salem for medical attendance.

The first school-house in Nobleville was built in 1837, Nancy Dayton being the first teacher in 1838. David W. Noble, son of William T. Noble, taught the next winter. David Noble's children were James M. Noble, who lived in Nobleville, and was for many years a leading mer- chant of the place. His wife was Eliza, a daugh- ter of Dr. Asa Hamlin. Thomas M. Noble, his

son, is justice of the peace, and lives in the village ; Sarah Noble is the wife of Maberry Megargel ; David Lyman Noble married Ann Jane Lee, and lives a short distance north of the village; Wil- liam W. Noble married Mary A. Patten, and en- gaged, in connection with his brothers Lyman and Roswell, in lumbering business in Salem and Mos- cow, and, finally returning, located in Nobleville, where he acted as inn-keeper for the place, though he never took a license to sell intoxicants. There is no drinking-place in Sterling township.

Deborah Ann became the wife of William E. Hamlin, who has been for many years postmaster and a prominent merchant of the place. Roswell W. Noble purchased that portion of the old Howe place, which lies west of the North and South road, has built a large house and otherwise im- proved the property. His son Oscar resides with him.

James Dobson came from Ireland to Sterling about 1817, and settled on the North and South road, about three-fourths of a mile north of Noble- ville. His wife was Susan Hazelton. His chil- dren were William, John, Mary, Fannie, Eliza, James and Ann.

John Gilpin, who lives on the North and South turnpike and kept the toll-gate, says, " We used to calculate there were about fifty head of cattle passing through the gate per day in July, about two hundred per day during August and Scptem- ber, and one hundred per day in October, August and November, being the sheep months, and the same number of sheep were driven. They came from New York and Ohio. Raftsmen in return- ing came on this road, which was a great thor- oughfare before the railroads. The turnpike was abandoned in 1868.

Joseph and Allen Megargel were brothers. Joseph came to Sterling about 1818. His sons were Amasa, James, Joseph, Jesse and John, all of whom lived in Sterling for a number of years. Amasa Megargel settled on the North and South road about one-half mile north of Howes at a place since called Jericho. He was a mason by trade. His son Maberry is a farmer and lives on the homestead. Charles, another son, is a black- smith at Nobleville.

The Howe school-house was built in 1831. E. Mullensford hell the first Sunday-school in Joseph

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Megargel's house in 1831. Tryphena Lee and James Woodbridge were among the first school teachers. Elder George Dobell and Edward Mullensford came to Sterling from England about 1818. Mr. Dobell moved to Salem (now Lake) in 1829. He was a Baptist preacher and offici- ated at Henry Stevens' as early as 1825. The Stevens saw-mill on the Butternut was built about 1821. Giles Dayton, a Methodist local preacher, came to Sterling about 1821, and built a saw-mill in 1825, Previous to this the mills of Edmund Hartford and Robert Bortree were frequented. Edmund Hartford lived to be ninety-four, and was a man of remarkable strength and suppleness. Lester B. Adams came to Sterling about 1825. He married Margaret Noble and purchased a place of Charles Cliff in Jericho. His sons were Henry, N., Enoch, Thaddeus, Theophilus and S. A. Adams. Benjamin Yates, a shoemaker, lived in a log house near Allen Bortree's in 1848. His sons William and Benjamin are in Sterling. Mr. Yates was an Englishman. He learned to read from the guide boards and became a reader of history. He was of a roving disposition, traveled much and was a man of observation and reflection. He moved to Salem, where his death occurred. J. R. Sinquet lives in the vicinity of Jericho, on the Charles Angel place. Daniel Sloats was at Nobleville. His sons were George, John, James and Dauiel Sloats, Jr., who lives on the old place.

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History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 128

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