History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 39

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 39
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 39
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 39

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).

Artificial teeth were in use as early as Wash- ington's time, and he himself is alleged to have worn them; but at that early day they were either carved out of solid picces of ivory, which involved great labor and expense, or were human teeth attached to gold plates. Aaron Burr is said to have worn such teeth. The later

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improvements made in this direction, and their introduction into general use, have added largely to both the attractions and difficulties of the profession, and drawn to it many possessed of superior mechanical skill. Formerly the plates in which the teeth are set were made only of gold and silver or carved out of ivory, which neces- sarily made them both heavy and costly, where- as now plates are made not only of gold and silver, but also of platinum, rubber and cellu- loid. Rubber plates were not introduced until

manor-house of the Avery family is still owned by its representatives in Devonshire, of whom some emigrated to this country among the ear- liest of the Puritans.

John Avery, the paternal grandfather of our subject, was born at Groton, Conn. He early manifested the martial spirit of his ancestors, served for a time in the French and Indian War, all through the Revolutionary War, en- gaged in the occupation of a teacher after the close of that struggle, and lived to be nearly

Dr. Otis Avery

about 1854, and celluloid much more recently. The filling of artificial teeth is also a leading branch of the science, requiring both skill, judg- ment and delicacy when properly done.

The county of Wayne has a number of rep- resentative dentists, who attend assiduously to their profession and reflect credit upon it. Prominent among them is Dr. Avery.

DR. OTIS AVERY, of Honesdale, was born in Bridgewater, Oneida County, N. Y., Au- gust 19, 1808. The family of which he is a member is of English descent, and the old

one hundred years of age. John, his son, was also boru at Groton. He was a silversmith and watchmaker by trade and followed that occupation at New London, Conn. Thence le emigrated to Oneida County, N. Y., where he was identified with the earliest settlement and development of that now prosperous sec- tion of country. He married Roxyhanna, daughter of William Humphrey, who also served in the Revolutionary War as a captain. Dr. Avery enjoyed the benefits of only a common English education, and when he had

d 0

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reached sufficient age became apprentice to the trade of a watchmaker in his father's shop ; when fifteen years of age he left the paternal roof and worked as a journeyman at his trade in Waterville, N. Y., for a short time, when he again worked for his father at home. At the age of eighteen he removed to Cocliccton, N. Y., where he served as a clerk in the store of his brother John for a timc, and then opened a watch-repairing establishment of his own. About 1827 he removed to Bethany, Wayne County, Pa., at that time the county- seat, where he also established a shop. From there he went to New Berlin, N. Y., where he located and pursued his usual vocation. At this time the desire seized him to adopt the pro- fession of dentistry as his life-work, and he went to New York City and for two years re- ceived theoretical and practical instruction in that profession in the office of Dr. D. C. Am- bler, a prominent dentist at No. 10 Barclay Street. On December 6, 1833, he received a certificate of qualification from Dr. Ambler, the only mode of graduation in those days, and at once entered upon the practice of his profession. For the first three or four years Dr. Avery pur- sued his calling over the large extent of country lying between Utica, N. Y., and Honesdale, Pa., there being but one dentist (at Binghamton) in all that section, meeting his patients by appoint- ment at various places.' In 1839 he located at Bethany, Wayne County, where he practiced his profession in the summer-time, but, through the solicitation of his old preceptor, Dr. Ambler, he practiced in the winter season at Columbia, South Carolina. This plan was followed for about ten years. Subsequently he opened an office in New York City also, but his Wayne County practice demanding so much of his time, he gave up his New York business and in 1850 established his office at Honesdale, where he has continued since to enjoy a large and remunerative practicc. It will thus be seen that Dr. Avery is one of the pioneer dentists of the conntry. The skill and prominence in his profession which he has acquired have been en- tirely the result of self-education and patient investigation and research. The dentists of his time had no dental college to go to, no journals

issued in the interest of their profession, were even obliged to manufacture their own instru- ments and to improve themselves by corre- spondence with each other. Besides pursuing his profession closely, Dr. Avery has also in- terested himself largely in mechanical inven- tion and research. About 1850 le invented a sewing-machine, which he had patented and sold to a company. As the agent of this com- pany he afterwards visited Europe and sold his patent to parties in London and to the Em- peror Louis Napoleon in behalf of the French government.

Aside from his profession, Dr. Avery has oc- cupied a prominent place among the citizens of Wayne County, and has held various offices of trust and responsibility. In 1855 he was elected on an independent ticket to represent Wayne County in the State Legislature and served ac- ceptably for one terin. He was appointed by Governor Geary, November 20, 1871, associate judge of the county, to fill the vacancy caused by the declination of F. B. Moss, who had been elected on the Republican ticket in Octo- ber, 1871. Under this appointment he served for a year, commencing with the first Monday of December, 1871. When the Democratic County Convention met, in September, 1872, it nominated Judge Avery for the seat he then oc- cupied, and two days later the Republican Con- vention followed by nominating him for the same position. The Hon. Phineas Arnold, senior associate judge, having died early in the year, the Republicans also nominated the Hon. Frederick W. Farnham, who had been appointed to fill the vacancy, and John O'Neill was nom- inated by the Democrats. The contest was thus triangular, to be won by the best two out of three candidates; though, as both parties had nominated Judge Avery, his election was as- sured, and the real struggle was between Farn- ham and O'Neill. The Greeley movement car- ried some hundreds of Republicans into the Democratic lines, and O'Neill was elected. Judge Avery being duly elected, his commis- sion, signed by Governor Geary, was issued November 5, 1872, for five years. In 1877 another issue arose in the county, in relation to a new court-house, which for the time obliter-

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rated party lines. Judge Avery took a position hostile to the measures proposed by the county commissioners who had commeneed the erection of the building. An Anti-Court-House party was organized, which nominated Judge Avery for another term on the bench. The attitude of the two political parties toward him had become directly the reverse of that held in 1872. Then both parties had united in his support ; in this campaign both sought his de- feat. Each party nominated a candidate, and again the contest was triangular. The anti- court house movement, however, had reduced both political organizations to skeletons, and Judge Avery was elected, his majority over both opponents being larger than his majority over either of his competitors in 1872. This is perhaps the only instance on record in which a candidate has received a greater majority when opposed by both parties than when supported by both.

He was duly commissioned by Governor Hartranft January 1, 1878. Notwithstanding the substantial proofs of popular regard which he had received, Judge Avery was unwilling to become a candidate for a third term, but de- termined on retiring from the bench, and Loren- zo Grambs was chosen his successor. He has always been conspicuous for independent thought, positive convictions, unflinching courage and spotless integrity ; and these characteristics were abundantly displayed in the discharge of his official duties. He was not content to accept the current tradition relative to the position of a lay judge, and to pose as a mere judicial figure- head. On the contrary, his official career was marked by the active, intelligent and conscien- tious discharge of its duties, and his influence was largely felt in the administration of justice. In religious affairs he was formerly identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church, but is now a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Honesdale. He has been twice married,- first, April 19, 1829, to Louisa, daughter of Charles and Abigail Hoel, of Bethany, the former an early settler of Wayne County She died in 1853. Of the six children resulting from the marriage, four are now living, viz. : Charles, who resides in Wayne County ; Louisa,

wife of John F. Brodhead, of Idaho ; Eliza, who married William Brodhead, and also re- sides in Idaho ; and Otis E., an assayer and mining expert, operating in Mexico. His present wife, whom he married in 1855, was Mary Agnes, widow of the late John Addoms, of New York, and a daughter of Richard Clark, a former merchant of that city, and a descend- ant of the Swiss Moravians, who left their country to avoid religious persecution. She had three children,-Mortimer C. Addoms, a lawyer in New York; Frederick E. Addoms, owner of a large cattle-ranch at Cheyenne, Wy- oming Territory ; and Agnes C., wife of George S. Purdy, a lawyer in Honesdale.

CHAPTER IV.

Internal Improvements-The First Roads in the County -

Turnpikes-Post-Offices and Mail Routes-The Dela- ware and Hudson Canal Company-The " Gravity " Railroad-First Locomotive in America-The Pennsyl- vania Coal Company-Outline History of the Erie Rail- road and " Jefferson " Branch.

EARLY ROADS .-- The first passable road, by which emigrants from the Eastern States, or the valley of the Hudson, could travel to what first formed the territory of Wayne County extended from the Hudson, near Esopus, along the valley west of the Shawangunk Moun- tain to the Delaware at Port Jervis, and down that river to the "Old Mine Holes," below Bushkill Creek.1

The first road opened through Wayne County was cut out in 1762 by the Connecticut settlers going to Wyoming. It left the Minisink road at Milford and thence passed considerably south of the Milford and Owego turnpike, by Lord's Valley, Blooming Grove Farm and Bingham's, in Pike, and Salem, in Wayne, through Cobb's Gap to Wyoming.

After the erection of Wayne it was laid out as a public road and so used until superseded by turnpikes. West of Bingham's it nearly followed the Indian path leading from Cochee- ton to Wyoming.

The next important road was what was

1 See Chapter II. of the General History.

1 1

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called The North and South road, extending from near Pocono Point, in Monroe County (now Tannersville), northward through the western tier of townships to the north line of the State. It also had a branch road extending from it westward to Tioga Point. In March, 1788, one thousand pounds was appropriated by the State to aid in opening these roads.

The North and South road was opened by John, Joseph and William Hilborn in 1788 and 1789, and the branch road by Andrew El- licott in 1788, and called Ellicott's road.

In 1789 Samuel Preston, of Stockport, be- gan opening a road from Stockport to Har- mony, on the Susquehanna, as a portage road. In 1791 the State appropriated four hundred pounds towards the expense of opening snch Portage road. A road was opened at private expense in 1791 from Bingham's, by Purdy's and Schenck's, to the North and South road, near Asa Stanton's; also a road extending from the North and South road, near Belmont, west- ward to Great Bend. About this date Samuel Preston opened a branch from his portage road to Mount Pleasant settlement, near the route of the present Stockport road from Mount Pleasant.

That same act of 1791 appropriated four hundred pounds to open a road from near Stroudsburg north to the Portage road, but the route was so erroneously specified, nothing was done that year upon it. In the following year the route was more carefully stated, and the road located to run from Stroudsburg north- ward across Middle Smithfield and Delaware townships, along the line between Palmyra and Lackawaxen townships, and through Damas- cus, crossing the Cochecton turnpike about five and a half miles west of Cochecton bridge, and continuing through Union settlement, by Equi- nunk, to intersect the portage road at Stock- port. It was mostly cut out in 1792 by the Hilborn brothers, and was called the Hilborn road. In April, 1793, four hundred dollars more was appropriated to improve this road, which was expended that year.

Very soon after the opening of the Hilborn road another road was opened from the mouth of the Lackawaxen to Mast Hope ; thence over the hills to Milanville, and up the Delaware

to Rock Run; thence over the hills to inter- sect the Hilborn road near the Union Farm.

This was evidently opened (at least partly) at State expense, but the appropriation act is not found. However, in April, 1838, an appropri- ation was made of four thousand dollars, as for the State road, for the part of it north of the Narrowsburg turnpike, and for extending it along the Delaware Valley to the State line. Moses Thomas, George Bush, William H. Dimmick, Jacob Killam and W. M. Preston were made commissioners to expend the money. They opened the road from Little Equinunk to Equinunk, and from Stockport to the State line, besides improving other parts of it.

In May, 1797, the people of Mount Pleasant settlement decided to try to raise funds by sub- scription to open a road from their settlement to Minisink (Milford). The road was surveyed on a route crossing Johnson Creek below the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's " Mil- ler reservoir," and thence passing a little east of Bethany to the Dyberry Valley, near the fair-grounds, and by Indian Orchard, the Nar- rows and Shohola Falls to Milford. It was opened that year. After Bethany was laid out its route was so altered as to pass through that town, as the road is now open towards Monnt Pleasant.

It was afterwards, with some changes of route. made a public road, and as such was the principal road to Milford until superseded by turnpikes.

In 1800 a public road was laid out from the Delaware, at Cochecton, to the Monnt Pleasant settlement, following near the present line of the old Cochecton and Great Bend turnpike. It was superseded by that turnpike in 1811.

Public roads were also early laid ont and opencd from Bethany, by Cherry Ridge, to Salem ; from Bethany, by Brink's Mill and Keen's Pond, to Canaan ; besides various other short roads in dif- ferent settlements in the county.

They were nearly all superseded by the various turnpikes afterwards constructed.

TURNPIKES AND PLANK-ROADS .- The Co- checton and Great Bend Turnpike Company was incorporated by an act of Assembly dated March 29, 1804, the commissioners being Henry

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Drinker, Edward Tilghman, Thomas Harrison and William Poyntell, of the city of Philadel- phia ; John Conklin, Jason Torrey and Samuel Stanton, of Wayne County ; and Asahel Greg- ory, John Tyler and Menna Dubois, of Luzerne County. The shares were ten dollars each, and the act provided that four bundred shares should be subscribed in Philadelphia, three hundred in Cochecton and three hundred at Great Bend. The act stipulated that the company "shall cause a road to be laid out from Damascus Mills to the top of Moosic Mountain aforesaid, to or near the twenty mile-stone in the north line of the State. Unless such places where the nature of the ground render greater width expedient," the width was to be twenty feet. The turn- pike was finished in 1811. The travel upon it was very great, as, with its connections, it was the principal route from Newburg to Western New York. Daily mail coaches, drawn by four horses, were run upon the road for years. Numerous taverns were built along the line. The construction of the Erie Canal lessened the travel upon this turnpike, but it was a much-used thoroughfare until the Erie Railroad was built. Then through travel was almost wholly suspended.

The Bethany and Dingman's Choice Turn- pike Company was incorporated in April, 1811, the commissioners named in the act being Ed- ward Tilghman, Thos. Stewardson and Wm. Drinker, of Philadelphia ; Daniel W. Dingman, Dan Dimmick, Matthew Ridgway, Abisha Woodward, Jason Torrey, Oliver Granger and the Wayne County commissioners. Two hun- dred shares were to be subscribed for in Phila- delphia, three hundred at Dingman's and three hundred at Bethany. The State contributed ten thousand dollars towards opening the road. This turnpike was much traveled until super- seded by other roads. Daily mail-coaches were run upon it and it afforded a convenient route for the people of the southern part of the county to travel upon to the county-seat.

The Belmont and Easton Turnpike Com- pany was chartered in 1812 to make a road " from the village of Belmont in a southerly direc- tion along the route of the North and South state road until it shall intersect Easton and Wilkes-

Barre turnpike in Northampton County." The commissioners were Myers Fisher, John Reed, Peter S. Duponceau, Stephen Girard, Benj. Tilghman, of Philadelphia ; Conrad Kreider, John Ross, George Keller, Samuel Reese, Adam Heckman, Northampton County ; Samuel Stan- ton, Thomas Meredith, Asa Stanton, Joseph Woodbridge, Wayne. Shares were fifty dollars each. Four hundred were to be taken in Phila- delphia and the same number in Easton and Belmont. Like the other early turnpikes, this had for a number of years an immense travel, but it was after a time diverted to other roads and to railroads.

The Belmont and Oghquagah Turnpike Company was chartered February 26, 1817. The commissioners were Thomas Meredith, Ira Mumford, Jr., Sanford Clark, Joseph Tan- ner, Benj. King, Asa Stanton, Thomas Spang- enberg and Walter Lyon. The road was built chiefly through the exertions of T. Meredith, Esq.

On February 24, 1820, the Luzerne and Wayne Turnpike Company was organized, with Benj. Slocum, Philip Swartz, Comer Philips and John Cobb, of Luzerne ; Seth Goodrich, Amos Polly, Reuben Purdy, William Woodbridge, Peter Purdy and Simeon Ansley, of Wayne County, as commissioners. "The company built by the shortest and most practicable route from near the house of Philip Swartz, in Providence town- ship, Luzerne County, to intersect the Milford and Owego turnpike where it crosses Wallen- paupack Creek in Wayne County, passing through the townships of Blakeley, Salem and Palmyra."

The Honesdale and Clarksville Turnpike Company was organized April 2, 1830, with Jason Torrey, Benj. Jenkins, Thomas Clark, Leonard Starkwether, Sr., and Nathaniel El- dred as commissioners. The road was built from Honesdale to the Belmont and Easton, or Milford and Owego, turnpike within two miles of Clarksville, Wayne County. Eight hundred shares at twenty dollars each were subscribed for.

On March 25, 1831, the Bethany and Honesdale Turnpike Company was organized, with Nathaniel B. Eldred, James Manning, Thomas Spangenburg, Randolph Wilmot.

at ot -

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Charles Forbes and Paul S. Preston as commis- sioners.

The Honesdale and Big Eddy Turnpike Company was organized in 1831 to build a road " from nearest eligible place on Bethany and Dingman's Choice turnpike, not to exceed 4 miles from H'dale to the Narrows of Dela- ware River at Big Eddy." Moses Thomas, Nathan Skinner, Lot Jackson, Charles Forbes and John Torrey were the commissioners.

On March 17, 1840, the Honesdale and Cherry Ridge Turnpike Company was char- tered, with Wm. R. McLaury, Thomas H. R. Tracy, Lucius Collins, Aaron Writer and Thomas J. Hubbell as commissioners.

The Cherry Ridge and East Sterling Turn- pike Company was chartered May 7, 1841, with Wm. R. McLaury, Richard Lancaster, Lucius Collins, Reuben R. Purdy and William Bortree as commissioners.

April 30, 1850, the Honesdale and Mast- hope Plank-Road Company was chartered, with Earl Wheeler, Amory Prescott, Wm. H. Dimmick, William Turner, John F. Roe, James M. Blackington, Ephraim W. Hamlin, Oliver D. Dunhane, Phineas G. Goodrich, Al- lis Whitney, Charles P. Waller, Elkanah Pat- more, Thomas Hubbell, Thomas H. R. Tracy, Russel F. Lord, Henry W. Stone, Wm. R. Mc- Laury, Benj. F. Kimble, Bulkley Beardslee, Cornelius Coryell, Peter Smith, Benjamin Holbert, Samuel Kimble, John Kelly and John A. Patmore, of Wayne and Pike Coun- ties, as commissioners.

They were authorized to construct a plank- road from the borough of Honesdale down Lack- awaxen River to Indian Orchard settlement ; thence by nearest and best route to the New York and Erie Railroad, at or near the mouth of Mast Hope Creek, in Pike County. Sixteen hundred shares at twenty-five dollars each were subscribed for.

The Honesdale and Delaware Plank-Road Company was chartered May 3, 1850, with William R. McLaury, Amory Prescott, David Abel, Cornelius Coryell, Charles White, C. P. Waller, Peter Smith, W. H. Dimmick, T. H. R. Tracy, E. W. Hamlin and Bulkley Beardslee as commissioners. They organized

the Honesdale and Delaware Plank-Road Com- pany, whichi built a road from Honesdale to Narrowsburg. This, prior to the building of the branch railroad to Honesdale, was one of the most largely traveled roads in the country, and was a great stage route.

The formal opening of this road occurred on Friday, September 19, 1851. In the morning the directors and a number of other citizens of Honesdale drove over to Narrowsburg to meet the delegations from that place and New York. A large party, headed by the German band, started thence for Honesdale, which they reached in an hour and forty minutes, including stop- pages. On reaching Honesdale the party was saluted by the firing of cannon, which was kept up most of the day. A great number of citi- zens were assembled in front of the Mansion House to greet the party, and they had a joyous meeting. In a few minutes a large number of boat-builders from the yards of Barnes & Har- lan, fresh from their work, and equipped with saws, planes, chisels, hammers, etc., each with some badge or token of his occupation, march- ing to the sound of martial music, appeared before the house and gave three cheers for the Honesdale and Delaware Plank-road, which were responded to by the crowd with three cheers for the boat-builders of Honesdale.

At three o'clock about one hundred and fifty persons sat down to a fine dinner served by Landlord Sherwood. C. C. Murray, president of the company, presided. S. G. Throop, Esq., addressed the assemblage, contrasting the time with a period fifty years prior, and made what the newspaper-the Democrat-characterized as "an exceedingly happy speech." S. E. Dim- mick, Esq., gave as a toast, " The health of the New York stockholders," to which Mr. Van Dyke, of New York, responded and proposed the sentiment, " The projectors and artificers of the Honesdale and Delaware Plank-road ; the perseverance and energy which they have dis- played in the enterprise entitle them to the gratitude of the whole community, for they have proved themselves public benefactors."

C. P. Waller, Esq., secretary of the company, being called, responded to this sentiment in behalf of the board of directors. He concluded

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with the playful toast : "Our New York stock- holders, may they continue Stillwell and their Flowers never be less.

Rev. H. A. Rowland, John Shouse, Esq., of Pike County, George G. Waller, Esq., and others then made brief remarks, appropriate to the occasion, and alluding to the satisfactory finishing of the work.

In the fall of 1845 Paul S. Preston, Asa Kimble, Alexander Calder, E. W. Hamlin, T. H. R. Tracy, Z. H. Russell, Amory Prescott, Israel Chapman, R. L. Seeley and Edward Murray gave notice in the Democrat that books would be opened at the house of A. Calder, in Equinunk, and A. Field, in Honesdale, for the purpose of receiving subscriptions to the stock of the company for constructing a turnpike from Honesdale to Equinunk. The measure was practically realized.

EARLY MAIL ARRANGEMENTS AND FIRST POST-OFFICES .- There were no post-offices in the vicinity of Wayne County when the county was erected, and none in what is now Wayne County earlier than 1811. The early settlers sent and received most of their letters by acquaintances traveling to where the letters were desired to go.

In 1797 and 1798 residents of Mt. Pleasant directed their correspondents to address their letters to Beech Woods, Northampton County, to remain in Wilkes-Barre post-office until called for.

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History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 39

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