History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 21

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 21
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 21
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 21

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).

"John Starbird, James Hollinshead, Peter De Cousard, Leonard Full,

John Clark,

Jacob Stroud, John Bush, Thomas Ashton, Jr.,

James Boys, John C. Walfinger,

James Bush, Thomas Scotland,

Chas. McNair,

Edward Durham,

109

FIRST EFFORT FOR THE ERECTION OF A NEW COUNTY.

John Huston, John Fish,

Daniel Shoemaker, Jr., G. Ganter, 1

Thomas Hisem, 1

Thomas Dillonselner,

Jacob Laun,

, David Smiley, 1

Jacob Winans, John Staples,

", Philip Long,

Jacob Kirkendall,

John Spencer, James Utter,

Mark Ransberry,

James Wheeler,

John Gay,

John Smith, Jr., I

George White,

John Carson, ,

Thos. Gay,

Henry Ransberry,

John Law,

John Dolman,

J. Smith,

John Baker,

Peter Conrad,

John Jayne,

Wm. A. Patterson,

Philip Schafer,

Levi Courtright,

Joseph Pennell,

Richard Postens,

David Fish,

James Van Demark,

Robert Patterson,

John Alexander,

Isaac Morgan,

Samuel Van Norman,

Benj. Decker,

Fred'k. Eishard,

Elijah Montany,

Nicholas Bush, Philip Moran,

Charick Van Vleete (Vliet)Jacob Brown, Jr.,

Platt Smith, Daniel Karlson, 1

Abraham Cousard,

Squir Marple,

Derick Tilbury,

Abram Smitlı, Joseph Lee.

It is worthy of note that the majority of the people who signed this petition-the first for a new county north of the mountains of which we have any knowledge-were the last of all, between the present line of Northampton and the boundary of New York State, to secure the coveted boon. They lived in that region immediately north of the Blue Mountains which remained attached to the mother-county for forty years later, or until the ereetion of Monroe County, in 1836.

The people farther north were more fortunate, for the very fact that they were so far removed from the seat of justice gave them the earlier benefit of a separate county organization, and thus Wayne was brought into existence on March 21, 1798, as the third county set off from old Northampton.2

1 These blanks represent names which are illegible.

2 Northumberland was crected in 1772, Luzerne in 1786. The other counties of which Northampton (erected from Bucks March 11, 1752) was the original mother were Sus- quehanna, erected in 1810; Schuylkill, in 1811 ; Lehigh, in 1812; Pike (from Wayne), in 1814; Monroc (from Pike and Northampton), 1836 ; Wyoming, 1842; Carbon, 1843.

1 These blanks represent names which arc illegible.

A copy of the foregoing petition and presum- ably circulated at the same time, is among the papers collected by Luke W. Brodhead. To it are appended the signatures of the following persons :

Jacob Postens,

John Kurtz,

Elias Pierce,

Abram Tilbury,

William Thysham,

Daniel Williams,

Isaac Seely,

John Van Dermark,

Abraham Bennett,

Daniel Koons,

Moses Van Dermark,

James Shelby, Coenraught Cline, (Con- rad Klinc?),

John Hauser, Christopher Filker,

Abraham Salfor,

Daniel Britten,

Peter Delagruse,

Isaac Van Norman,

Daniel Shoemaker, Jr., John Shaw, 1

Frederick Miller, John Tilbury, M. Montaine, Jacob Williams, John Swartwood, Francis Al. Smith, Thomas Swartwood, Dirck Van Vliet, David Casebeer,

Richard Shaw, Jr., Aaron Wood,

George Houser, J. De Long, Jr.,

Elijah Shoemaker,

Samuel Brodhead, George Spragel, John Morgan, David Heller, Bart Bartleson, J. Heller, N. Cornell, 1

David Williams, Wm. Haines, John Bush,

Isaac Winans, Jacob Hendrickson, John Gold, 1

, John Tuck, Levi Drake,

Jacob La Bar, Benj. Schoonover,

- ..

Abraham Wirman, Garret Brodhead, James Bush, Jr.,

Garbor Saubor, ,

Moses Chambers,

Aaron Depui, Peter White, 1

Cornelius Depuy, Nicholas Mussel, Jolın Crissebark, 1

Peter Blue, Jr.,

Abraham Van Camp (en), Jacob Brown,

George Heller,

William Drake, Samuel Fleming,

Francis J. Smith,

Richard Shaw,

Daniel Wheeler,

John De Long, Sr.,

John Brodhead,

Elias Long."

Richard Bush, Jr.,

James Wathon,

John Lee,

Alexander Fleming,

HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.

CHAPTER I.

Civil History-Erection from Northampton-County Seat Removals-The Celebrated Court-House War-County Officials, 1798-1885.

THE county was named in honor of thic celebrated General Anthony Wayne-commonly known as " Mad Anthony"-one of the chief heroes of the Revolution, and no less distin- guished as the vanquisher of the Western In- dians in 1794. Wayne was born at East Town, Chester County, Penn., January 1, 1745, and died at Presque Isle (now Erie), December 15, 1796. He was buried there ; but in 1809 his remains were removed to Radnor Church, near Waynesborough, Penn. (vicinity of Philadel- phia), where a monument was erected by the Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati.

COUNTY ERECTION-CONTESTS FOR SEAT OF JUSTICE .- Wayne County, originally embrac- ing all of the territory now comprised in Wayne and Pike and the northern part of Monroe, was erected by an aet of Assembly passed March 21, 1798, in which its boundaries werc described as "Being all that part of Northampton County lying to the northward of a straight line from the West end of George Michael's farm at the River Delaware, in Middle Smithfield town- ship, to the mouth of Trout Creek on the Le- high, adjoining Luzerne County."1

Of the trustees named in the act, whose duty it was to fix the site of the seat of justice for the new county, Samuel Stanton resided in what is now Mount Pleasant township, near Belmont; Samuel C. Seely, in what is now Milford; Daniel Stroud, at Stroudsburg, and

Abram Ham and John Mulhallen below the mountains. They eventually designated Mil- ford as the county seat, but not until strong efforts had been made in behalf of other loca- tions. Stanton was represented as favoring the selection of Milford because he wanted to bring about the organization of a new county, to in- clude the northern part of Wayne and north- eastern part of Luzerne (now Susquehanna), in such proportions as to make Mount Pleasant the approximate centre, and thus presumptively the seat of justice. As an inducement to the selection of Milford, a proposition was made by John Biddis to convey to the trustees grat- uitously fifteen acres of land, a part of which it was proposed should serve as a site for the public buildings, and the residue be laid out in lots, the sale of which should aid in covering the cost of such buildings. In pursuance of this proposition Biddis executed a deed bearing date of November 1, 1798, by which, for the nominal consideration of one dollar, he con- veyed to the trustees fifteen acres of land in Milford; but the deed was not acknowledged until January 16, 1799, nor entered for record until February 27, 1799, one month before the law was passed removing the seat of justice from Milford.

The selection of Milford had greatly dissatis- fied the mass of the residents in the northern part of the county, and at the next session of the Legislature application was made for the passage of a law authorizing a change of the location. Notwithstanding the strong opposi- tion by the friends of Milford, an act was passed April 1, 1799, declaring that from and after that date the seat of justice should cease to be at Milford, and that the courts should be

1 Smith's Laws, Vol. III., pp. 316-319.

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WAYNE COUNTY.

held at Wilsonville1 "until public buildings should be erected within four miles of Dyberry Forks " (the confluence of the Dyberry and west branch of the Lackawaxen, in the present bounds of Honesdale borough). The trustees were John Hilborn, of Willingborough, Lu- zerne County (now Harmony, Susquehanna County), John S. Rogers, of Mount Pleasant, John Bunting, of Canaan, John Brink, of Mil- ford, and Ebenezer Jayne, of Middle Smitlı- field. They obtained a connected map, showing the location of all lands within four miles of Dyberry Forks, with the names of the several

' The arguments made against the removal of the county seat from Milford were many and varied. They are well summarized in the protest addressed to Governor Mifflin by a number of Milford lot-owners who lived in Philadel- phia, which document was found by Dr. William H. Egle among the State papers in Harrisburg, and is here copied from the original :

" His Excellency Thomas Mifflin, Esqr., Governor of the State of Pennsylvania. May it please your Excellency.

" A Bill has passed both Houses of the legislature of this State for the removal of the Seat of Justice from thic Town of Milford, County of Wayne, to an interior spot in the County, which the Subscribers, proprietors of Lots in said Town are well assured is contrary to the wishes of a majority of the Inhabitants, and that the removal will be of essential injury to the local Interests of the county, and to the growing Commercial connection with Philadelphia. They beg leave to state their reasons :

"1st. The removal of the Seat of Justice from Milford, where the Commissioners first fixed it, has been attempted thro the influence of a very few proprictors of Land in the upper district, and who reside in this City. It has not even been wished for by the Inhabitants of that District ; but, on the contrary, a remonstrance has been presented from a considerable number of them against a removal.

"2nd. The number of Inhabitants iu the lower Town- ships, agrceably to the statement of the Assessors, lately presented to the Senate, amounts to as much as two to one, or more, against the removal.

"3rd. The Town of Milford is at the point of intersec- tion of a number of great roads, leading from the eastern States to the thickly-settled parts of this State, and is ad- vantagcously situated for Commerce with Philadelphia. It has been considerably improved from the full assurance of the Scat of Justice being fixed there, and from present appearances will be much more rapid in its advancement. than any other spot in the County.

"4th. We take the liberty to suggest that it is not so much the central situation of the Town in the County that ought to influence in a decision upon this question, as the present population and prospect ; And we suffer no wrong in asserting that the advantages, in these respects, are greatly in favor of Milford.

" 5th. That in consequence of the nomination of Milford

owners with whom they communicated, asking for statements of the best terms on which they would grant a site for a county seat on their respective tracts. The titles to some of the tracts within the prescribed limits were in dis- pute between adverse claimants, so that a clear title could not at once be given. Replies, with propositions, were received from many of the owners; but the terms of two were so much more favorable than any of the others, that they only were decmed worthy of especial con- sideration. One of these was from Edward Tilghman, of Philadelphia, proposing to give

(by the Trustees) as the Seat of Justice, considerable pur- chascs have been made of Lots, Contracts entered into for buildings, and large quantities of materials purchased.

"6th. That such have been the spirited and generous exertions of the Lot-holders that Subscriptions to the amount of upwards of 4000 Dlls. has been made, and the contract entered into for erecting the public buildings free of any Charge or Tax on the County in respect thereof.

" We respectfully submit the above to your Excellency, and earnestly request you will take the subject into your serious consideration, and reflect that the removal of the Seat of Justice, however profitable it may be to a few in- dividuals, will be a very serious injury and inconceivable inconvenience to a great majority of the Inhabitants of the County.

"We therefore pray that we may be heard ou the occa- sion.

" Robert H. Dunkin, Isaao Lloyd,

John Phillips, James l'ant,

Rebecca Leaming,

Chris. Wiltberger,

Wikoff & Harrison,

William Duncan,

Henry Sparks, Jr.,

Caleb Hughs, James Hart,

Conrad Hause,

Joseph Hart, William Geisse,

William Coats,

William Dean, Jr.,

Tho. Kennedy,

· Elizabeth Wiltberger, John Mason, Job Butcher,

Morda Jones,

David Callaghan,

Isaac Jones,

William Bourge,

James Whatcheall,

William Lintan,

Jas Boyd,

l'eter Dolphin,

Anthony Vanderslice,

Francis Adames,

Henry Vanderslice,

John N. Ilagenan,

Matheas Keeley.

George Ilugh,

Joshua Tyson,

Jesse Shoemaker,

James Simpson, Andrew Eppli,

Jolın Jarvis, Andrew Young,

Budd & Bartram,

John Young,

John Shee,

Jolin Barnet,

B. George Lloyd,

Danl. Miller,

Arch. McCall,

Melchoir Laren,

William Lawrence,

Elisha Gordan."

George Marchley,

Benjamin Johnson,.

Samuel Duffield,

Thomas Proctor,

112

WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

one thousand acres of land for a site for public buildings and a county town, to be located on his tract between Dyberry Forks and the set- tlement on Cherry Ridge. This was consid- ered a very liberal proposition; but it was no less so than that of Henry Drinker, a large landholder, also of Philadelphia. He offered one thousand acres to be selected by the trus- tees from his body of ten thousand acres of land lying between Dyberry Creek and the West Branch of the Lackawaxen. With his proposition, he informned the trustees that cav- eats had been entered in the Land Office against the issuance to him of patents for his land; but he was assured by the best legal counsel that his title was good, though it would require a little time to get a decision of the Board of Property, who were then hearing the case, and to have his patents issued. This proposition was regarded more favorably than Mr. Tilgli- man's, except for the delay required to have the title perfected.

BETHANY AS THE COUNTY SEAT-FIRST COURT-HOUSE .- After waiting until Novem- ber, application was made to the trustecs by Judge Preston and others to procced at once and set the stakes for the site of the court-house on Mr. Tilghman's land, as it was urged a long period might pass before Mr. Drinker could obtain patents. The trustees, however, reported that they were " not yet ready to act." Early in May, 1800, Mr. Drinker wrote to Judge Preston and several others, giving information that the Board of Property had decided against all the objections made to his title, and had directed that patents should be issued to him for his twenty-four tracts. This afforded the trustees an opportu- nity to choose between the two mnost favorable offers made to thiem, and on the 15th of May they met and resolved to proceed to the selection of a site for a county-scat, and, accompanied by Jason Torrey, whom they had appointed their clerk, and several gentlemen who manifested a deep interest in their decision, and some of whom decidedly favored the Cherry Ridge, or Tilghman location, they proceeded to view the lands offered them, and subsequently to vote on a choice between the two sites ; Mr. Jayne

voted in favor of the site on Mr. Tilghman's land ; Mr. Brink refused to vote, and Messrs. Hilborn, Rogers and Bunting (all Friends or Quakers) voted in favor of the site on Mr. Drinker's land, where Bethany now is. On the next day, May 16th, the trustees selected the precise locality for erecting a court-house, in the unbroken virgin forest, and marked it by a large stake driven into the ground at a point from which the surface sloped gently in all directions, except the northwest.

On the 2d of June they met at the site selected and adopted plans for a court-house and jail, and decided upon the location of a public square and the courses and widths of some of the principal streets, in accordance with a plan for a town, which they adopted, and in which provision was made for two lıun- dred and fifty-four house-lots and one hundred and sixty-three out-lots.

Thus the beginning was made. On June 10th a number of the residents of the neigh- boring settlements assembled and put up a log house on the public square, to be used as a boarding-house by the workmen while erecting the public buildings. On June 13tlı, to relieve themselves as a body from attending to the erection of the county buildings, the trustees authorized John Bunting and John S. Rogers to act for them in superintending the building and making such other improvements as were deemed advisable. At the same time Jason Torrey was engaged to lay out the town and prepare maps of it. Mr. Bunting was directed to go to Philadelphia and obtain money and supplies of provisions, nails, etc., to enable them to procced at once with the building without waiting for the proceeds of the sale of lots. The supplies thus procured were to be sent to Easton, by boats upon the Delaware, and from there transported in wagons to their destination. The trustees also made application to the non- resident owners of land located in the northern part of the county for aid in paying the trustees named in the original act erecting Wayne County, according to the provisions of that act.1

1 The amount raised and paid to the former trustees under requirement of the act of April 1, 1799, was $871.58.

----

113

WAYNE COUNTY.

Advertisements of a sale of lots in the town of Bethany, for thus the county-scat was named, were sent to be published in Philadelphia and Easton on June 10th. The sale was to com- mence on September 8th, at Wilsonville, which, it will be borne in mind, was the temporary seat of justice.

The carpenters began hewing timber for the frame of the court-house August 12th. The diffi- culty of procuring sawed lumber was so great (by reason of there being no saw-mill nearer than In- dian Orchard, and few and poor roads for trans- porting it), that not only the main timbers of the frame, but the studding and rafters were also hewn upon the spot. On September 5tlı the frame of the court-house was raised and it was inclosed before winter. It was one and a half stories in height, and thirty six feet in length by thirty-two in breadth. As lime could not be procured for plastering, the inner walls and ceilings were all ceiled with pine boards. Work was all done by the day, subsistence being provided by the trustees for all employees, as there were no houses near at which board could be obtained. Common laborers received fifty cents per day and board, and mechanics seventy-five cents to one dollar per day, with board.

dollars eaclı. Among the first purchasers were John Brodhead, John Conklin, Reuben Skin- ner, George Parkinson, Thomas Shields, Thomas Potts, Thomas Moore Edwards, John Ross, Daniel Stroud, Theodore Woodbridge, L. Col- lins, Jason Torrey, Jesse Drake, Oliver Tyler, Moses Tyler, Thomas B. Dick, William North- rip, Jacob Schoonover, Edward London, Leon- ard Labar, John Connett, J. Conkwright, Christopher Snyder, William Barnes, John Hil- born, John Bunting, Samuel Stanton, Daniel Skinner, Moses Brink, Nathan Skinner, Mor- decai Roberts, Isaac Brink, Abraham Bickley, Henry Drinker, William Williams, Philip Culp, Eliphalet Kellogg, Samuel Preston and Daniel Stevenson.

A deed from Henry Drinker, dated August 30, 1800, conveying to the trustees 999 acres, 156 perches, was received and entered. The conveyance was specified as made to the trus- tees, "in trust for the use of the county of Wayne, and upon the further trust that they shall lay out said tract in proper town and out- lots, and convey to the county commissioners such of said lots as they shall fix on, for the purpose of erecting a court-house, jail and of- fices for the safe keeping of the records, and sell at public auction so many of the lots as they may sce proper, and appropriate the money re- ceived for the purpose of erecting the necessary buildings-and for no other purpose whatso- ever."

The trustees met at Wilsonville, September 8th, and duly opened the public sale of lots. They had a map of the town of Bethany, drawn on a large scale, on which certain lots were desiguated as reserved for various purposes. A jail building and residence for the sheriff or jailor was erected upon the lot provided for that purpose in the summer and autumn of 1801. It was nearly square, thirty-two by thirty-six feet, and a story and a half in height. It was constructed of hewed timber, ten inches square and laid up like the logs in a cabin. There were two small prisons upon the ground- floor, and the remainder of that floor and the chambers were for the convenience of the jailor's family. The walls and floors of the prisons were constructed of ten-inch hewed tim- ber and covered inside with seasoned hard wood plank, securely spiked to the timbers. In the rear of and adjoining the prison building was a prison-yard, about thirty-five feet square, one The jail lot fronted westwardly, fifty fect on the southeastern corner of the public square. Three lots of fifty feet front each, where the Presbyterian Church now is, and extending westward from the Main Street, were reserved for church lots. Next north of these, and, like them, three hundred feet in depth, were five lots reserved for school purposes. With these ex- ceptions, the lots were offered to the highest bidder. The sales were continued from time to time, until the aggregate amount of money re- ceived reached two thousand seven hundred and thirty-six dollars, one hundred and thirty-three house-lots and one hundred and one out-lots being purchased by about seventy persons, at prices ranging from a few cents to twenty-seven | side of which was formed by the building, and 13

114

WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

the other three of hewed timbers, set upright in the ground, dowelled together and standing ten feet above the surface, with the tops of the timbers armed with barbed and pointed spikes.

In the second floor of the court-house two rooms were partitioned off for county offices, one of which was for the use of the county com- missioners and treasurer and the other for the prothonotary and register and recorder. The lower floor was entirely occupied by the court- room, except a small vestibule and a stair-way to the offices.

The buildings were so far completed at the time of the September term of court in 1801 that the trustees gave notice to the county commissioners and the judges that they were ready for the accommodation of the court; but the judges declined to remove the courts and offices to Bethany " until lawfully assured that the buildings were completed."

This action of the judges indicated a dis- position to prevent the removal and, if neces- sary, to raise technical objections ; therefore, to carry out more completely the duties imposed upou them, the trustees, on the 2d of January, 1802, executed and delivered to the county commissioners a deed conveying to them and their successors the public square, including the court-house upon it, the jail lot and jail.

The motive for refusing to hold the courts at Bethany soon became apparent. At the next session of the Legislature an application was made to have them moved back to Milford and there to remain permanently ; another to have them alternately held at Milford and Wilson- ville, in connection with which was a proposi- tion to have annexed to Wayne County a portion of Luzerne which is now included in Susquehanna. The latter bill, as before the Legislature contemplated to annex to Wayne that part of Luzerne east of a line extending from the twenty-eightli mile-stone on the New York State line, southward ten miles, and then southeast about thirty miles to the line of Wayne. This proposed auncxation was in accordance with a plan devised and advocated by Samuel Stanton, and was to be followed, if it was successful, by an act erecting a new county with Mount Pleasant central within it,

in order that it might be made the county- seat.1

The annexation scheme entirely failed. The people of the northern townships strongly re- monstrated against the removal, urging the great injustice it would involve, as they had been required by act of Assembly to repay the moneys expended by former trustees, and also the moneys paid to those trustees for lots in Milford sold by them at auction-and they had actually paid the sum of $871.58. They pro- tested, further, that the present trustees had, under authority of the Legislature, sold and conveyed a great number of lots in Bethany,

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History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 21

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