History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 195

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 195
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 195
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 195

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.

MILES LEACH HUTCHINSON, justice of the peace at East Stroudsburg, Pa., was born at Hutchinson Station, on the Belvidere and Delaware Railroad, Warren County, N. J., April 18, 1831, where he was reared and assisted his father in his saw-mill and lumber business. After the death of his father, in 1846, in partnership with his brother, Andrew J., he ran the mill, which they rented of his mother until her death, in 1857. On account

ent residence on Washington Street, where he has resided since.

Upon the erection of the borough of East Stroudsburg, Mr. Hutchinson was elceted on the Republican ticket a justice of the peace for a term of five years. He was re-elected and served for a second term, was then appointed to the same office by Governor Hoyt, under the regulation of the new Constitution, and served one year, when, by re-election, he served

U. L. Hutchinson

of the ill health of his brother-in-law, James | Ramsay, at Ramsayburg, he took charge of his store, lumber-yard and farm at that plaee until his death, two years afterwards, when for three years following he was a partner with his sister, Mrs. Ramsay, in continuing the business at that place. In 1866 he removed to East Stroudsburg, where he bought a farm of sixty- five aeres, now owned by M. M. Kistler, which, after eighteen months, he sold, and for one year thereafter resided in Stroudsburg. In 1869 he settled in East Stroudsburg and built his pres-

a third term of five years, and in the borough election of 1886 he was again re-elected for a fourth term to the same office, notwithstanding the large majority is Democratie, fully attesting the confidence of the publie in his fitness and ability to discharge the responsible duties of that offiee with justice to all, and in equity in all matters brought before him. A high commentary upon Mr. Hutchinson's decisions during his long and continued career as a justice of the peace is the fact that only in one instance has ever an appeal to the higher

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court been taken from his decision, and in that case the jury confirmed his opinion without a division. He has taken an active interest in all matters pertaining to the growth and pros- perity of the borough since he has been a resident of the same, and contributed commen- surate with his means to the support of enter- prises needing help. He is a director of the old Stroudsburg Bank. Both himself and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, of which he served for many years as elder, and for ten years past he has been superintendent of the Sunday-school of that church.

Mr. Hutchinson married, January 19, 1861, Amanda D., daughter of Major John and Sarah (Frome) Pacc, of Warren County, N. J .; the former died in 1842, the latter in 1845. She was born January 3, 1838. They have no chil- dren. Major John Pace and wife were buried at Oxford, near where they had resided, and had other children as follows: Mary (deceased), was the wife of George Shoemaker, of Oxford ; Jacob (deceased), resided on the old homestead ; Elizabeth, of Belvidere, is the widow of the late George Hoff; Jane (deceased), was the wife of Thomas McFall Davidson, of Harmony, N. J., now a resident of Illinois ; Sally Ann, wife of Abel Hoff, of Harmony; Catherine, widow of the late Amzi Mutchler, of East Stroudsburg, whose son is Dr. John Pace Mutch- ler, of Stroudsburg.

Major John Pace was the only son of Major Pace, of Warren County. Henry Frome, the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Hutchinson, re- sided contiguous to the Warren County almis- house, and lived to the great age of ninety-six years. The Fromes and Paces were old fami- lies in Warren County.

William Hutchinson (1783-1848), father of Miles L. Hutchinson, married Mary Hay (1794- 1859). He spent his active business life in lumhering and milling. He erected the grist- mill at Uniontown, N. J., subsequently sold it and bought a saw-mill at Hutchinson Station, which he run until his death. He was a native of Lower Mount Bethel, Pa. Mary Hay was a daughter of John Hay and Mary Best, of South Easton, Pa., farmers. They removed to a farm near Delaware Station, on the Delaware, Lack-

awanna and Western Railroad, where he died at the age of eighty-five; she at the age of eighty- one years. The farm is owned in 1886 by Hon. John I. Blair. The children of William and Mary (Hay) Hutchinson are John D., owned the Samuel De Puy property at Hutchinson Station, a farm and saw-mill, where he died (his widow resides on the old homestead; her daughter is the wife of Rev. Clark Kline, of Oxford, N. J.); Ellen, deceased, was the wife of George Stocker, of Lower Mount Bethel, Pa .; Mary is the widow of the late Judge Jeremy Mackey, who was associate judge of Monroe County, and for many years cashier of the old Stroudsburg Bank ; Harriet (deceased), was the wife of Edward L. Allen (deceased), of Har- mony, N. J .; her husband died at East Strouds- burg; William, a bachelor (retired), resides at Delaware Station, N. J .; Eveline, is the wife of Jeremiah Osmun, of Delaware Station; Andrew J., engaged in the lumber business, resides at the same place ; Elizabeth, was first the wife of James Ramsey, before mentioned, and after his death married Dr. Little Osmun, of Phillips- burg, N. J .; Miles Leach Hutchinson, subject of this sketch ; and James, conducting a grist- mill at Delaware Station. Miles L. Hutchin- son's grandfather, John Hutchinson, was a large real-estate owner of Lower Mount Bethel, Pa., having some twelve hundred acres of land. He reared a family of four sons-Thomas, Andrew, James and William-and two daughters, who married and had families. The parents died there. John Hutchinson's father was of Scotch birth, was a sailor, and at eighteen years of age had sailed around the world. He soon after settled in Northampton County, Pa., was the progenitor of the family in the State, and lived to be one hundred and one years of age. The religious persuasion of the family has ever been Presbyterian.

CHAPTER XIII.

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP.

THE decree erecting Hamilton as a separate township was issued by the court of Northamp-

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ton County on the 24th of December, 1762. It is bounded on the north by Jackson town- ship, Pocono township touching its extreme northern point, east by Stroud township, south by Northampton County and west by Ross and Chestnuthill townships. It is the most popu- lous township in the county, and takes high rank for the productiveness of its lands, the enterprise of its citizens and the excellence of its educational appointments. The population in 1830 reached fourteen hundred and twenty- eight, and in 1840 the census gave fifteen hun- dred and eight as the number of its inhabitants. In 1844 the assessed value of real and personal property was one hundred and twenty-nine thousand seven hundred and thirty dollars, and of trades and occupations thirty-four thousand seven hundred and eighty dollars. Its present population is eighteen hundred and seventy- five.

NATURAL FEATURES .- The surface of the township is diversified, being mountainous, hil- ly and level. In the southern part is a lime- stone ridge, the product of which has been utilized both for agricultural and building pur- poses. The centre is gravelly in some parts, with a rich clay loam in the valleys. Hills abound in the north, the land being more or less stony, but still productive. The staple pro- ducts are wheat, rye, oats, corn, potatoes and considerable hay, which grows in much luxur- iance. Fruits find here a congenial soil and cli- mate, apples, pears and plums being grown with much success, while peaches in some portions of the township attain great perfection.

McMichael Creek (named after an early squatter in bad repute with both whites and Indians) flows from west to east nearly through the centre of Hamilton township. Pencil Creek rises in the Pocono Mountain, flows south, then directly east and empties into the McMichael Creek near the centre of the township. Cherry Creck rises near the line between Ross and Hamilton townships, and flowing easterly through Cherry Valley, pours its waters into Brodhead Creek in Smithfield township. In the southwest is a small sheet of water known as Lake Poponoming.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS .- It is difficult to de-

termine who first settled the portion of Monroe County embraced in Hamilton township. John McDowel emigrated from the north of Ire- land some years before the Revolutionary War and purchased a tract of land, in 1764, of Rev. Richard Peters, to whom it was deeded by Nicholas Weiser. He obtained it from the original proprietors in 1744, as will be seen by the following deed :

"John Penn, Thomas Penn and Richard Penn, Esquires, True and absolute proprietaries and Gov- ernors-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania and counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex on Dela- ware. To all unto whom these presents shall come, greeting. Whereas, By virtue of a warrant under the seal of our land office bearing date the 26th day of August last, there was surveyed and laid out on the eighth day of October then next following unto Nicholas Weiser, of the county of Bucks, a certain tract of land situate in Smithfield township, within the said county, bounded and described as follows, viz .: Beginning at a marked hickory-tree, and from thence extending by vacant land the five courses and distances next following,. viz .: north forty degrees and one hundred and eighty-two perches to a post, north sixty perches to a post, west one hundred and sixty-five perches to a post, south forty degrees west two hundred and sixty perches to a post and east two hundred and sixteen perches to the place of begin- ning, containing two hundred and forty-four acres, and the allowance of six acres per cent. for roads and highways. Know ye that in consideration of the sun of thirty-seven pounds sixteen shillings and four pence lawful money of Pennsylvania paid by the said Nicholas Weiser, . Yielding and paying yearly to us, our heirs and successors, at Pennsbury aforesaid, at or upon the first day of March in every year from the first day of March last one half-penny sterling for every acre of the same or value thereof in coin current according as the exchange shall thus be between our provinces and the city of London. . . . Witness George Thomas, Esq., Lieutenant-Governor of the said province, who, in pursuance and by virtue of certain powers and authorities to him for this pur- pose (inter alia) granted by the said proprietaries, hath hereunto set his hand and caused the great seal of the said province to be hereto affixed at Philadel- phia this twenty-eighth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty-four, the seventeenth year of the reign of King George the second."

Mr. McDowel, on his arrival in Monroe County, sojourned for a brief period with Mr. Depui, of Shawnee, and then proceeded to the improvement of his purchase. He married a Depui and had two sons and several daughters,

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the latter being represented by many of the leading families of the county. Jacob H. Fetherman is now the owner of the property, his wife being a great-granddaughter of John McDowel.

Thomas Bond, prior to the War of the Revo- lution, became a resident of the township, hav- ing built and oecnpied a cabin. located in the orchard on John W. Young's farm. He joined a scouting-party formed with a view to avenging the death of the Kresge family, and started in pursuit of the savages who had per- petrated the crime. On reaching a spring the party stacked their muskets and stopped to drink. The Indians came suddenly upon them, and in the confusion which followed, all, with one exception, were massacred. Thomas Bond was among the number and met his death at this time.

Nicholas Young purchased a tract of land in the present Hamilton township from Thom- as and Richard Penn in 1763. Among his children was a son Nicholas, who inherited the property, having married a Miss Rummage. The children of the union were John, Jacob, George, Mary, Elizabeth, Susan, Christy Ann and Sally. Jacob occupied the homestead and John settled upon land now owned by his son, John W. Young, having married Sarah Wool- bert. Their children are George, John W. and Mary, of whom John A. married a daughter of Thomas Miller, of the same township, and has three children.

Philip Bossard, who emigrated from Alsace, Germany, settled on the property known in the family as the homestead farm, in 1755, where he resided until his death. Among his sons was Melchior, to whom this property, embracing two hundred and fifty acres, was deeded in 1790. His children were Peter, Andrew, Christopher and George, all of whom, with the exception of Peter, removed to New York State. The latter married Margaret Kern and had nine children, of whom Samuel, Peter and Catherine Ruth now live in Hamilton town- ship

John Fellencer, on his emigration with his wife from Germany, located on a farm which he cleared ; the township at that early day be-

ing chiefly covered by forest. He had two sons -Peter and John-both of whom settled in the township. John, who married, had three sons -- Joseph, John and Jacob, the two former being still residents of the township. Peter had two sons-Peter, who resided in Jackson township, and John, who removed to Iowa and is since deceased.

Samuel Rees was a native of Chestnut Hill township and subsequently removed to the northern part of Hamilton, near the Jackson line, where he followed farming pursuits. He married a Miss Rinker, to whom were born sons-John, Samuel and Reuben -- and several daughters. Samuel now resides in Stroudsburg, John removed to Luzerne County, Pa., where he died, and Reuben settled in Iowa. The only representative of this branch of the family in the county is Samuel Rees, of Strouds- burg.

Casper Metzgar came from Bucks County more than a century since and purchased land in Cherry Valley, which he proceeded to improve. His children were five sons-Jacob, Peter, Nicholas, Jonas and Christian-and several daughters, all but one having settled in the township. The members of the family in Hamilton are Andrew the son of Jacob ; Philip and Lydia (Mrs. Joseph Fables), the children of Nicholas ; and Caspar and Mary Ann (Mrs. Emanuel Marsh).

Philip Fetherman came in 1806 from Lehigh County and located on a farm ncar Bossards- ville, now owned by Abram Fetherman. His children were five sons and four daughters. Three sons-Balser, Abram and John-settled in Hamilton, and are still represented by their respective children. The children of Balser are Charles, Jacob H. and Jonathan, the latter of whom is but recently deceased. The sons of Abram in the township are Abram and Manas- seh. One son of John Fetherman, also named John, resides in the township.

Abram Marsh removed from Northampton County to the township when it was still in a primitive condition, and proceeded to improve the land he purchased. He was twice married, and the father of five sons and five daughters. John, Abram, Isaac and Samuel settled in the

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township, the last-named having later become a resident of Pocono township. Two sons of Isaac-John and Isaac-reside in Hamilton, both being moulders by trade, the former of whom was for years the owner of the Hamilton Foundry.

John Williams resided in Hamilton township during the War of the Revolution, and culti- vated a farm he purchased at an early day. By his marriage to a Miss Bush were born children, -John, Jacob and Peter, and two daughters. One of the latter married Frederick Keiser, the other became Mrs. Isaac Marsh. The last-named well remembered the farewell dance of the Indians when they departed from the country, at which she was present. The only representatives of the Williams family now in the township are Charles, the son of John, and Eugene, his grandson.

John Storm resided on the farm now the property of Amos Frantz, where he owned a tract of valuable land. His two sons were Andrew, former associate judge and sheriff of Monroe County, and Frederick. A daughter (Mrs. Anna Slutter) is also a resident of Han- ilton. Jerome Storm, the son of Andrew, is a resident of Stroudsburg.

Conrad Woodling cultivated the farm now owned by William Flemming. His children were two sons, Andrew and John, and a daugh- ter, Elizabeth, wife of Peter Butz. Andrew Woodling located in Hamilton, and John be- came a resident of Pocono township. The for- mer has three daughters, who are residents of the township,-Elizabeth (Mrs. Isaiah Rinker), Sally (Mrs. Joseph Bittenbender) and Rachel Jane (Mrs. Nathan Lesh).

Jacob Learned formerly occupied the farm now owned by Samuel Bittenbender, where he settled prior to the Revolution. He left a son Samuel and two daughters,-Elizabeth (Mrs. Andrew Woodling, of Hamilton) and Lydia (Mrs. John Woodling, of Tannersville). Samuel Learned settled in Hamilton and married Louisa Rinker. Two sons-Peter and Jere- miah-reside in the township, and several daughters are residents of other portions of the State.

Henry Pencil, who achieved reputation for

skill as a hunter and fisherman, lived upon the spot where the house of David Shook stands. One son, Jacob, and two daughters settled in the township. The former left a family of children, of whom Jacob is now the only representative in Hamilton. The name is perpetuated by the stream known as Pencil Creek.

The name of Rinker is one of the oldest in the township, Solomon Rinker being the occu- pant of the farm formerly owned by his father. Of his four sons, Samuel is the only one who retains his residence in Hamilton. George Rinker for many years occupied the farm now owned by Harry Hobbs. None of his descend- ants remain in the township.

Felix Weiss, who resided upon a farm now owned by Emanuel Shoemaker, left a son George, who settled on the home farm. He married Susan Snyder, and had one son, George, and two daughters,-Amelia (married to Eman- nel Shoemaker) and Catherine (Mrs. Lynford Marsh, of Stroudsburg).

George Van Buskirk removed from Bucks County to the farm now owned by Wesley Green. Hc married Elizabeth Werkheiser and died, leaving no descendants.

Aaron Van Buskirk, also a former resident of Bucks County, settled in the northwest por- tion of the township, having married Susan Wagner, to whom were born twelve children. Four sons-Samuel, Jesse, Andrew and Jacob- and two daughters-Mary and Ann-settled in the township. The descendants of Jesse now residents of Hamilton are Aaron B., Emeline (Mrs. Isaac Marsh) and Rachel J. (Mrs. John Marsh).

Bartholomew Shiveley, about the ycar 1800, became the owner of the farm now the property of Charles Bossard, which he cleared and im- proved. The family have since become extinct.

Anthony Kintz was an early settler and lived on the homestead, subsequently the property of his grandson, Anthony Kintz. His sons were Anthony, who removed to New York, and Melchior and John, who remained residents of the township. Melchior left four sons, of whom Anthony occupies the ancestral cstate. A son of John resides near Poponoming Lake.

*George Meisner resided near the above-men-

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tioned lake, and left three sons,-Michael, George and John, all deceased. The family on the male side have become extinct, though several female representatives are residents of the township.

Martin Eyer removed from Bucks County at an early day. His son, Philip Henry, who was the occupant of a farm now owned by John Halderman, married Elizabeth Roderock. He has two sons-John and Jacob-and two daughters now living in Hamilton.

George Gower owned the farm now the prop- erty of John Gower. His son John intermar- ried with the Shafer family, and has one son, John, now residing in the township.

Barnet Fenner, who was a farmer, resided near Sciota. His children were a son, Henry, and a daughter, Margaret (Mrs. Werkheiser). Henry married Margaret Hood, whose chil- dren are Henry, Barnet and Joseph, and five daughters now living. Henry, the only sur- viving son, resides near Sciota.

Valentine Werkheiser, on his removal from Northampton County, settled near Sciota, where he engaged in the cultivation of a farm. His sons were Valentine, Charles, John, George and Henry. The last-named settled on the home- stead and married Catherine Arnold, whose six children are Henry A., John A., Abram, Eliza- beth, Mary and Hannah. The only surviving son, Henry A., resides near Snydersville, where he is a farmer.

Michael Starner resided on the farm now owned by John F. Bender, whence he removed soon after the Revolutionary War. He acquired great influence over the Indians, with whom he' was very popular, and on frequent occasions their host. All his sons removed from the township and none of the name are now within its boundaries. The descendants of the daughter are, however, to be found in Hamilton.

Among the earliest settlers was George Setzer, who, on his emigration, settled in Hamilton township, having purchased land which had been but slightly improved, and is now owned by Alexander Harps. He married a Miss Berrier and had two sons-Michael and George -and several daughters, both of the former hav- ing settled in Hamilton. Michael married Miss

Elizabeth Shale, whose children are Jacob, Abram, Mary, Betsey, Henry and George. Henry now resides on the farm purchased by his father, and enjoys excellent health in his ninety first year.

Joseph Starner, now in his eighty-second ycar, came from Plainfield, Northampton County, when eighteen years of age, and spent three years in the service of Daniel Houser. He then rented a farm, subsequently purchas- ing in Ross township. Returning to Hamil- ton, he became owner, in 1865, of his present farm on Pencil Creek. He married, in 1821, Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel Houser, and has ten living children.

John Bender came from Philadelphia about the year 1824 and settled near Sciota, where he followed his trade as a shoemaker. His five children were Mary (Mrs. Trotter), Catherine (Mrs. Bechtel), Elizabeth (Mrs. Sheble), Deborah (Mrs. Evans), all of Philadelphia, and one son, John F., who resides on a farm near Saylorsburg. He married Sophia, dangh- ter of Peter Kester, and lias four living children, of whom William M., a resident of Hamilton, is both farmer and school-teacher.

John Arnold settled on a farm, the land of which he purchased at a very early date. He married a Miss Santee, whose children were George, John, Abraham, Conard, Christy Ann, Louis, Catherine, Hannah, Elizabeth. All the sons settled in the township, where they died. Representatives of this family still reside in Hamilton.

George Dreher, on his removal from North- ampton County, about the period of the Revo- lution, located on property now owned by Jacob Houck, above Snydersville. He married Lydia Heller, whose family had previously settled below the Wind Gap. The children of this marriage were Jacob, George, John, Michael H., Melchior, Polly (Mrs. George Learn), Sally (Mrs. Andrew Whitesell) and Elizabeth (Mrs. Samuel Pugh). George Dreher, in 1810, removed to Stroudsburg and combined with his trade, that of a tailor, the duties of a land- lord. His son Jacob married Elizabeth Storm, and has children-Jeremiah, Andrew, John, Mrs. Matthias Stecker and George, still living in

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Hamilton township. Simon removed to Wis- consin, and a daughter, Mrs. Joseph De Young, resides in Stroudsburg. Melchior married Sarah Drake. His children-Daniel, George, Silas, Wilson, Martha (Mrs. P. H. Robinson), Mary (Mrs. Amos Shoemaker) and Mrs. Eliza- beth Peters-reside in Stroud township. Another sister, Mrs. Simon Houser, is a resident of the Water Gap. Michael H. Dreher married Elizabeth, daughter of Adam Smith, and had children -- Samuel S., Darius, George H., Ed- ward B., William, Sally Ann (Mrs. John Jaek- son), Anna Maria (Mrs. Augustus Michaels), Eliza (Mrs. George W. Peters) and Mary Alice (Mrs. M. E. Hartzler), four of whom are residents of Stroudsburg. George H. and Edward B. are deceased.

Walter Barry, who was of English birth, came to Hamilton from Philadelphia prior to the War of the Revolution, settling on the land now owned by his grandson, Joseph Barry. He had two sons, Walter and Robert. Walter died at the age of one hundred and eleven years. Robert married Elizabeth Myers. His children are Joseph, Lewis, Abram, Franeis, Melchior, Simon, Robert, Catherine (Mrs. Moses Swink), Ann, Elizabeth (Mrs. Gabriel Davis), Christina (Mrs. Jacob Laee), Rachel (Mrs. Isaac Slutter). Of this number, Francis and Rachel reside in the township.

Christopher Keller emigrated from Germany with his parents when but eight years of age. His father having died during the passage, the widow married George Hartlieb, whose wife had also met her death on the steamer. They settled in Hamilton in 1749, and brought with them .the lad Christopher, who grew to man's estate and married Christiana Bossard. Among their children were Christopher, George and Andrew. George married Rachel Dills, of New Jersey, whose children were John, Joseph and Christopher. John was born at Kellers- ville and married Sarah Drach. Their children are David, Rudolph, Andrew, Mary M., Julia Ann, Rachael and Sarah Ann. The last- named, now the wife of Dr. R. Levering, is the only one of this number residing in the town- ship. David and Andrew removed to Strouds- burg, and Rudolph settled in Iowa.

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History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 195

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