History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 175

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 175
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 175
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 175

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).

Benjamin Shoemaker bonght other land ad- joining his first purchase, and after his death, in 1775, the property was inherited by his son Daniel, who sold the whole to John George Zimmerman, in 1802. The children of Benja- min Shoemaker and Elizabeth De Pui were as follows : Susanna, Madalena, Elia, Helena, Dan- iel, Hannah, Nancy and Elijah. Susanna was baptized 22d of May, 1741 ; Garret Decker and Snsanna Du Puy were her sponsors. Elia was baptized 22d of March, 1747 ; Moses De Puy and Anna Prys (Price) were his sponsors. Dan-

iel was baptized January 5, 1752 ; his sponsors were Daniel Shoemaker and Ann Prys. Elijah was baptized August 31, 1760. Elijah married Jane McDowell, a daughter of John McDowell, who owned and lived on the property known as " Shaw's Meadows," in Cherry Valley, the property now owned by Jacob H. Featherman. Mr. McDowell is buried in the church-yard, near the old home. Elijah moved to Wyoming, and was killed in the massacre there by a Tory named Windecker. His remains lie in the cem- etery at " Forty Fort." He was but twenty-six years of age at the time of his death. He left a widow and one son, named also Elijah, who was the father of the Hon. D. L. Shoemaker, late member of Congress from Wilkes-Barre.

Daniel Shoemaker, son of Benjamin and brother of Elijah, married Ann, a daughter also of John McDowell. They had a son baptized January 27, 1792, named Nicholas, and another son baptized May 17, 1795, named Daniel Mc- Dowell. After selling the property to Zimmer- man, in 1802, he moved to Owego township, Tioga County, New York. One of his daugh- ters, Elizabeth, married George Nyce, in 1801. They were married by Moses Chambers, Esq., in Smithfield. Another daughter, Hannah, married Samuel Brodhead, and moved to New York State. Nicholas De Pui, son of Samuel De Pui and Ann Shoemaker, his wife, are named as the executors of Daniel Shoemaker's will.

Benjamin Shoemaker, the first-named in this sketch, was chosen deacon of Smithfield Church May 16, 1747, and was elected elder (Ouder- ling) April 27, 1751.

The families of Shoemakers now in the Min- isink seem to have descended from Garret, who married Catharine De Pui before 1741, and Jochem, who married Rachel Van Gorden in 1750. Henry, a son of one of the above, was married to Blandina Van Campen in 1783.

Henry Hauser, at the period named in this commission, resided at what is now called Stormsville, in Cherry Valley, and his brother Ulrick at what was for many years known as the " Hauser Farm," now the " River Farm," the home of Mr. E. T. Croasdale. Henry and Ulrick were sons of Henry Hauser. They came

106

1074

WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

from Friedenshal, ncar Stockertown, and settled in Smithfield in 1790. There was a Henry Hauser who joined a scouting party who, it is said, went in pursuit of Indian scalps, in con- sideration of a bounty of one hundred and fifty dollars for every male over ten years of age. This dreadful measure having received the sanc- tion of the Governor, was resorted to in 1764; and the bounty was afterwards increased to one thousand dollars. The scouting-party named numbered thirty, and started from the " Hunter Settlement," in Mount Bethel, Northampton County. Henry was killed near the Lehigh. He was probably the father of Ulrick and Hen- ry. It is possible that enterprises of this nature may then have been looked upon with more favor, and even perhaps were considered laud- able as well as profitable.

The " Hauser Farm," in Smithfield, was one of the landmarks of carly times. Ulrick Hauser kept a tavern there for many years. He was succeeded by his son John. The elec- tions were held at his house, also the militia trainings, country balls, etc.

The chain of title connected with this property is unusually full and aceurate, and possesses historical interest, commencing with the recital of a portion of the will of William Penn, as follows :

" PENNSYLVANIA, SS :

" Richard Hill, Isaac Norris, Samuel Preston and James Logan, surviving trustees appointed by the last Will and Testament of the late Proprietary of this Province for all his lands in America :

"To Jacob Taylor, surveyor-general of the said Province : Whereas the late William Penn, Esq., Chief Proprietary and Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and territories thereunto belonging, did by his last Will and Testament, made in the year of our Lord 1712, give and devise unto us and our heirs, amongst other persons, since deceased, all his lands, tenements and hereditaments whatsoever, Rents and other Profits in this Province & Territories, or else- where in America, upon trust, that we should sell and dispose of so much of his lands as should be sufficient to pay off his just debts, and that we should sett off to his Grand Children and Daughter therein named several tracts of land therein mentioned, and amongst the rest, to his Grand Son, William Penn, Ten Thou- sand Acres of land in this Province, in some proper and beneficial place thereof: Which will having for some years after the said Proprietor's decease been

disputed by the Heir at Law in the King's Court of Exchequer at Westminster, was at lengtlı, by a de- cree of said Court, in July last, fully ratified and confirmed,

Now these are in pursuance of the said will and by virtue of the Powers to us thereby granted to author- ise and require thee to survey or cause to be surveyed to the sª William Penn, grandson of the said Pro- prietor, the said quantity of ten thousand acres of land, in some proper and advantageous place or places of this province, as directed by said Will, and we do hereby particularly direct and enjoin thee to lay out at least five thousand acres thercof on tlie Lowland on Delaware and the adjacent uplands, situated in the county of Bucks above Pechaqualin Hills, & lying between them and that part of the said river called Minnesinks, or near to the same, in one or more tracts, and make a return of the said surveys unto us, for wch this shall be thy sufficient authority. Given under our hands & scals, at Philadelphia, the sixteenth day of November, A.D. 1727.

" RICHARD HILL, (Seal.) " ISAAC NORRIS, (Seal.) "SAML. PRESTON, (Seal.) "JAMES LOGAN, (Seal.) "

The aforesaid ten thousand acres granted by William Penn to the grandson were conveyed to William Allen by indenture, bearing date the 20th of August, A.D. 1728, who, by deed datcd the 10th of December, 1733, con- veyed unto Nicholas Depui the following three islands or tracts of land, all situate, lying and being in the county of Bucks aforesaid : First the island in the Delaware commonly ealled " Manwalamink," containing one hundred and twenty-six acres ; second, the island commonly called the " Great Shawna," situate in the river Delaware, over against the Shawna town, containing one hundred and forty-six acres ; the third tract or island, situate between creeks or small branches of the Delaware, the adjacent land to the southward of which being lately held by John Smith, and that to the north- ward is the said Shawna town, containing thirty-one acres. Also three other tracts,-one of cighty-nine acres, one of one hundred and twelve acres and one of twenty and one-half acres. The first-named of these tracts (eighty-nine acres) was sold by Nicholas Depui to Benjamin, Shoemaker in 1744, and is now known as the " Zimmerman farm." The second (one hun- dred and twelve acres) was sold by Nicholas Depui to his son Aaron, merchant, March 26

1075

MONROE COUNTY.

1745. It was then and before known as the " John Smith farm," later as the "Hauser farm," and now as the "River farm." Aaron Depui sold the aforesaid one hundred and twelve acres to Moses Depui, of Rochester, Au- gust 11, 1748. Moses Depui sold to Jacobus Bruyn June 16, 1767. Jacobus Bruyn, by will dated 1781, devised the property to his two daughters, Mary and Gertrude, the former of whom married Nicholas Hardenberg, and the latter Cornelius Dubois.

Hardenberg and Dubois sold the property to Ulrick Hauser April 8, 1791. Ulrick Hauser sold to John Hauser March 5, 1810. Evan Thomas, administrator of John Hauser, sold to John Carey and Jacob Able, of Easton, June 30, 1829. Carey and Able sold to Jacob Able December 12, 1830. Jacob Able sold to John T. Bell March 31, 1837. John T. Bell sold to Jolın Jordan, Jr., et al., May 31, 1838. John Jordan, Jr., et al., to Seldon T. Scranton, for the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company, in 1856. Seldon T. Scranton to Evan T. Croas- dale in 1856-reserving the portion containing the limestone quarries. The last was sold to Evan T. Croasdale in 1879.

The first two purchases by Nicholas Depui of William Allen amounted to five hundred and sixty-six acres, including the six per cent. allowance. It is probable that John Smith may have been the first resident land-holder north of the Blue Mountain in this State. Wil- liam Allen, in his conveyance to Nicholas Depui alludes to John Smith's possessions as " the adjacent land to the southward, being lately held by John Smith." There is some un- certainty as to how John Smith's title was ob- tained, or under whom he was holding pos- session. He may have purchased from the In- dians, as did Mr. Depni, or possibly of William Allen ; if of the latter, Allen must have repur- chased of Smith before selling to De Pui ; yet there is no mention of such purchase in the deed of Allen to De Pui ; but the one hundred and twelve acre tract (the John Smith tract) is thercin described, bearing distanees and con- tents given precisely as in the original draft, and all the subsequent transfers down to the purchase by Ulrick Hauser in 1791. In later

transfers the surveys embraced adjoining pur- chases made by Hauser and with which the John Smith tract was from that date merged.1

The origin of the name of this historic town- ship can, with a degree of certainty, be traced to the original owner of the " River Farm." The transition from " Jolin Smith's fields " (as the property was called in some of the old title papers, then "Smith's fields," as given in others) to Smithfield is easy and natural. Aaron Depui, in a transfer made as late as 1747, speaks of the property as " adjoining the land I now possess called Smithfield," and in a ledger of his, commencing with the year 1743, his brother Samuel is charged with the rent of ye plantation named Smithfield, for the year 1746, forty-five pounds.

The Jolin Smith here mentioned could not have been the same person who dealt so largely in lands in Smithfield between 1778 and 1790, and whose name was sometimes written Smyth. It is so written by himself in a deed made to Hardenberg and Dubois in 1788.

Most of the transfers of property made about this period-deeds and other papers-were exe- cuted before Col. William Wills, then justice of the peace, who came to New York from Eng- land a few years before the outbreak of the American Revolution. He is said to have been closely related to Dean Swift. His wife was a daughter of Col. Henry Kinney, of Dublin. He removed from Tyron County to New York, in 1776, and to Smithfield in 1780. While in New York State he was member of Congress, colonel of the militia, chairman of the coun- ty, judge of the Court of Common Pleas and commissioner for detecting and defeating con- spiracies against the State. He possessed large wealth, and had such faith in the ultimate suc- cess of our cause, and in the integrity, as well as in the ability, of the government, when the struggle should be ended, to discharge its obli- gations, that he exchanged freely of his gold for our " Continental currency," to relieve thic necessities of others, until he found himself at

1 Melchoir Spragle, long a surveyor of this county, says that John Smith held a title from Allen for the " River Farm" (Smithfield) before 1730, including a large tract on both sides of Cherry Creek.

the un- las 26

ine

1- ee d st ad ly er he or ent ely th- ng ne and res,

d te

1076

WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

the end, with little gold, but with a vast amount of badly printed cards, upon which he failed to realize.

While living in Smithfield Col. Wills resided for a time on the Milford road at Marshall Creek, during which time he acted as justiee of the peace, and as he rarely charged for per- forming the marriage ceremony, he was of course very liberally patronized.

It is related by the writer's venerated mother, who was a granddaughter of Col. Wills, that on one occasion he performed the marriage ceremony when he and the expectant bride and groom were on opposite sides of the flooded stream that had carried the bridge away and rendered impossible their nearer approach.

Philip Shrawder was captain of a company of Rangers from Northampton County during the Revolution. He writes to President Reed from Lower Smithfield, September 6, 1781, and among other things, says : " The success I met with in recruiting since Colonel Levers wrote to your Excellency on my account is owing to the kindness of Esquire (John) Van Campen in advancing me some hard money for that pur- pose." John Dickson, president of council, writes to Captain Shrawder from Philadelphia, under date of March 4, 1783 : " As the Conti- nental troops have lately been withdrawn from Wyoming, it is by the General Assembly thought necessary for the protection of the set- tlement against the savages to replace the guard immediately with the two companies of Rangers commanded by you. It is our earnest desire that the inhabitants settled at or near Wyoming should be in all respects treated with kindness. This we know to be the desire also of the Legislature," etc.1

Captain Shrawder and his company were quartered for a time at James Logan's, " Lo- gan's Inn," a short distance west of Strouds- burg, in July, 1784, on his way to suppress disturbances in Wyoming, under command of Colonel Armstrong. Captain Shrawder resided at Shawnee, in Smithfield, and he and John

Coolbaugh kept store there in 1797. Captain Shrawder was one of the executors of Nicholas Depui's will, dated April 23, 1808.

John Van Campen was one of the most prominent men of the Minisink. He espoused the cause of the Pennamites in the effort to prevent the people of Connecticut from forming settlements within the province of Pennsyl- vania, and was appointed an additional magis- trate for that purpose in 1770. On the 3d of July, 1771, " he is advised to raise a number of men as soon as possible and strive to interrupt (intercept) them (the Yankees) at the river." He writes on the 4th to James Tilghman, sec- retary of the Land-Office in Philadelphia, "I have sent to the upper end of the Minisink. I am afraid that matters will not go well at Wyoming, as I have reason to think those peo- ple have friends on the ground. It may be de- pended npon that there are great matters in hand with the Yankees, as there are almost every day dispatches from Isaiah Van Campen (who espouses the cause of the Yankees) down to Mr. Shoemaker's, as, I suppose, for him to transmit back to the party how matters stand among us." On the 5th of July, 1771, he writes that " he fears the Block-house will be abandoned at Wyoming, and in that case would advise that all the cattle be driven down the river, and if they could do no better, drive them to Fort Allen," etc. August 9th collects pro- visions and proceeds with a party of nineteen men to Wyoming to relieve the block-house. " Moved on to the Forks of the Lahawanak and Wyoming paths. Arrived near the Fort; dispatched an Indian to inform the people at the Block-house of our approach, and learned it had surrendered to the Yankees. Sent a party of six inen to lay on the Sheholey road from Wyoming to the Delaware (an old Indian trail) to prevent express going that way to New England," etc.

September 27, 1778, he wrote a joint letter with John Chambers (sub-lieutenant), Nicholas De Pui, Benjamin Van Campen (sub-lieutenant) and Jacob Stroud (colonel) to the Hon. George Ryan, president of the Board of War, Philadel- phia, of "the defenseless condition of Smith- field, and that Delaware and Upper Smithfield,

1 In these reminiscences the author is indebted for infor- mation in relation to those who have been in the civil or military service of the country to the Pennsylvania Ar- chives and Colonial Records.

1077

MONROE COUNTY.

a fine country of near thirty miles in length, is almost evacuated, the people moved over to Jersey for safety, and in this township (Smith- field) there is only a guard left at Colonel Stroud's."

In 1780 John Van Campen was elected mem- ber of Council, and thereafter, during its sessions, his time was spent in Philadelphia. " March 4, 1781, the Hon. John Van Campen presented to Council his account of attendance in Council, which is as follows, vizt .:

"The State of Pennsylvania to John Van £ s. d. Campen, To attendance in Council 30 days at £50, £1500, Continental money, -- equal to. 20 0 0

From Jan'y 13 to March 15th, 1781,-62 days, at 25s. 77 0 0

Milage on 90 miles, coming to Philadelphia and returning home,-180 miles, at 18 .. 900 And thereupon an order was drawn in favor of John Van Campen, Esquire, for the sum of. £106 0 0 State money, agreeable to said account."

" In Council May 2nd, 1781. Order drawn in favor of Peter Medick for the sum of 1000 pounds of the money emitted by Act of Assembly passed 7th April last, to be forwarded to Honorable John Van Campen for the purpose of defending the frontiers, of which sum the said John Van Campen is to account."

Captain Philip Shrawder writes to John Van Campen from Chestnut Hill, June 19, 1782, while the latter was member of Council at Philadelphia, transmitting the pay-roll of his company ; desiring payment and clothing for his men, says he has been compelled to contract debts on his own account.

" I have always parties out scouting the. woods from my post to Zawits, Sallady's, Jeynes's, etc., and again from my post to Fort Allen ; those at Fort Allen take their tour down to Berks County, and also up to my Quarters again," etc.

Mr. Van Campen writes upon the margin of this letter, "It seems that Captain Shrawder has not received the clothing agreeable to the order of Councils."

On November 29, 1782, Mr. Van Campen writes to Council of Pennsylvania, in conven- tion at Trenton. He has been, at their request, in Upper Smithfield and in New Jersey to ob- tain the best information in regard to the time

of the purchase of and actual settlement of the upper parts of this county above Walpack Ferry. " The oldest men both in Jersey and New York whom he has spoken to are unable, by reason of age and infirmity, to attend at Trenton. I hope the bearer, James Van- aken, Esq., will fully and distinctly prove the actual settlement of the land on Delaware within the pretended claim of Connecticut.

"To Messrs. Bradford, Reed, Wilson and Sergeant."

The " Pennamite " and " Yankee " troubles seem to have been almost lost sight of by the people of the Minisink during the exciting period of the Revolution, but their interest in that milder form of contest revived as the greater subsided, and finally altogether disap- peared.

John Van Campen lived at Shawnee, in a large stone building which was taken down by his grandson, the late George Van Campen Bush, about twenty years ago, the walls having become insecure. Mr. Van Campen united with the Smithfield Church April, 1775.

David Dills resided at "Dills' Ferry," now Portland, Northampton County. David lived many years in Smithfield. He married Rachel, daughter of Garret Brodhead, in 1787.

John Brown, one of the road commissioners named, came to Smithfield (now Stroud) in 1790. He was born May 21, 1746 ; died December 8, 1821. John, Michael and Jacob were his sons. Jacob Brown and John T. Bell were appointed associate judges at the organiza- tion of Monroe County, December 19, 1836. Hon. David Scott was the president judge. Jacob Brown was a very successful farmer. A portion of the land left his sons once belonged to the Brodhead estate. He died February 16, 1841, aged sixty-nine years. His children are as follows : Anna, who married Jacob Eilen- berger; Daniel, who married Mary Hallock ; Mary, who married Charles Brodhead ; Robert, who married Rachel S. Burnett, of Bucks County ; Edward, who married Emily Mor- gan; Ellen, who married David Keller.

General Robert Brown, lately deceased, was highly esteemcd in this community. He was a man of integrity and moral excellence. The

1078

WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

house in which General Brown was born, and in which he died, is situated on the elevation south of East Stroudsburg. It was erected in 1799. Near by stood the old house occupied by Daniel Brodhead, built in 1738. The fort or stockade built in 1756, the year after the house was attacked by the Indians, and to which the people of the neighborhood fled at the time, stood near, on the brow of the hill.

Applications for a public road or King's highway was made to the Governor and Coun- cil at Philadelphia April 6, 1771, from the Wind Gap by the most convenient and dircet course to Wyoming. "The board taking the said petition into consideration and being of opinion that such road would be of great public utility, it is ordered that Aaron Depui, Garret Brodhead, Peter Kachline, Daniel Shoemaker, John Van Campen, Philip Johnson, John Seely and Michael Roup do view and lay out said road," ctc.

Anthony Dutot constructed a road from his saw-mill, below where the Kittatinny House now stands, in 1798, to the site of his future " city," and a few years after obtained a charter for a toll-road ; from thence it extended to the residence of Ulrick Hauser (River Farm), where it connected with the Shawnee and Tatemy's Gap road. This short road opened up an un- fortunate intercourse between an irascible Frenchman and a contumacious German. They were the magnates of the vicinage, constituting an important portion of the population, and their families and employes the integral.

Anthony Dutot came from St. Domingo in 1793, having left there hastily, with others, when the order of possession in that island was reversed, when the servants became masters of the soil and the masters became fugitives. He was said to have been wealthy, and buried on his plantation a considerable amount of gold and silver, and brought with him what coin he could conveniently transport. Mr. Dutot was a man of culture and refinement, and after spending a short time in Philadelphia, he pro- ceeded up the Delaware in search of a future home. He was impressed with the grandeur of the scenery at the Delaware Water Gap and eagerly made purchase of a large tract of land,

previously considered as worthless, including the portion on which the Water Gap House is situated and the hills on the north side of the mountain, where he laid out a city, calling it after his own name and built a dozen or more small dwellings, which have all disappeared and the name of the place changed to Delaware Water Gap.

Mr. Dutot lived for some years on the bank of the river, near where the old saw-mill was located and but a short distance from the pres- ent boat-landing. Here was also the "toll- gate." His toll-road was never profitable and caused him much annoyance. Various devices were resorted to on the part of travelers to avoid payment, sometimes by driving rapidly through the gateway, at others by pretending not to understand his meaning.

Some years after Mr. Dutot's settlement here he made selection of Sunset Hill as his last resting-place, and some twenty years before his death purchased a bell and cannon, the former to be rung from the belfry of his own house, on which it was erected, and the latter to be fired over his grave when certain events, which he predicted, would transpire, affecting the pros- perity of the place. Among these was the building of a railroad through the Gap and the landing of a steamboat at the wharf he made selection of on the bank of the Delaware. He died in 1841, and fifteen years after the whistle of the locomotive was first heard echoing through the gorge of the mountain, but the old man's repose was undisturbed by the ringing of bell or the firing of cannon over his solitary grave. The toll-road was superseded in 1823 by the construction of the present State road, along the southeastern slope of Sunset Hill. It was not till the year 1800 that the construction of a wagon road was undertaken through the Gap, and then by the subscription of individ- uals residing above and below the mountain. Previous to this there was a bridle-path over the old Indian trail. It was used as early as 1730, when the government of the province of Pennsylvania sent up agents 1 to the Minisink

1 Nicholas Scull and his assistant, John Lukens. Scull was elected surveyor-general to succeed William Parsons,

1079

MONROE COUNTY.

to dispossess certain persons of lands held by purchase of the Indians. This party, it is said, managed with great difficulty to lead their horses through the Gap, The Rev. David Brainerd, in a missionary tour amongst the Indians in the Minisink, passed through this, or one of the other "Gaps" in the mountain on his return to the " Forks," in 1744.

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.

History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 175

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