History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 79

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 79
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 79
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 79

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).

Creek, just opposite his present place of busi- ness, in 1859, and it has since been in operation. It is a small affair, with an up-and-down saw, and is only used at present to get out square timber. In 1866 Mr. Tyler opened the store he now occupies in the old Charles Drake house.

POST-OFFICE AND MAIL FACILITIES .- It is probable that the first letters to the early set- tlers at Damascus were sent by messenger, either by the Durham boats from Easton and Phila- delphia or by such travelers as might be journeying into the Minisink region.

In 1803 a post-office was established at Mil- ford, to which the mails were brought once in two weeks, the route being from Lancaster, by Bethlehem and Stroudsburg, to Milford. After that, letters were sent to Milford " to be called for." On the completion of the turnpikes from Newburgh to Great Bend, in 1810, a mail-route was established from Danbury, Conn., via Fishkill Landing and Newburgh to Chenango Point, and a year later a post-office on this route was established at Cochecton. This, of course, gave Damascus a mail service that was adequate to the demands of the times, and it was not until 1824 that the need of an office on the Pennsylvania side of the river was greatly felt. In that year an office was established, and William H. Clarke was the first postmaster. He was succeeded by Dudley B. Clark, and then, in 1826, Walter S. Vail was appointed. He served until 1849 or 1850, when the office passed into the hands of N. W. Vail, who kept it until 1855, the date of Charles Irvine's ap- pointment. After two years James S. Vail was made postmaster, and held office until 1859, when lie gave place to W. W. Tyler, who served until 1866. The next appointce was Mark Apley, who resigned in 1873, at which time W. W. Tyler, the present incumbent, was reappointed.

The West Damascus post-office was estab- lished in 1869, with George Welch as post- master. Several years later he gave place to Mrs. Mary Mitchell, the present incumbent.

ST. TAMMANY'S LODGE .- Little or nothing is now known of this organization, except tliat it was instituted at a very early

W. W. Tyler built a saw-mill on Cash's | period, and that Nathan Skinner was a

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prominent member, and filled a number of offices in it. The records and jewels were burned thirty years ago, and those who were among the constituent members are in their graves. An edition of " Harris' Discourses," an early Masonic publication, contains a list of subscribers, and in it the following names are credited to St. Tammany Lodge, No. 83 : George B. Guinmiss, Reuben Condit, Jesse Drake, Nathan Monington, Joseph Guinniss, Jacob Tyler, Dudley B. Clark, George Bush, Noah Philips, Silas Tyler and David Guinniss.

THE DAMASCUS ACADEMY, which for more than a quarter of a century has been the leading educational institution of this portion of the Delaware Valley, has been attended by many vicissitudes, and, during that period, has stood high on the hill of success and progress, and again so low in public esteem as to nearly suc- cumb to financial embarrassment and failure. Neglect and indifference, which never keep dates and records, the warp and woof of his- torians' work, make some of the earlier informa- tion meagre, though enough is obtainable to trace the progress of a well-defined effort, among a few leading spirits, to secure good educational advantages in this portion of the Delaware Valley. The subject of building an academy was first discussed by some of the leading citi- zens some thirty-seven years ago, and resulted in rather an unsatisfactory meeting to consider the matter, called at the Presbyterian Church on the evening of August 18, 1848. The pro- positions then laid before the citizens were not received with favor, though the seed was sown by a few strong advocates, and it matured soon afterward, when a second meeting was held in the Baptist Church, at which proper measures were taken to forward the project and a con- mittee was appointed to select a site. When the location was decided upon, a third meeting, also at the Baptist Church, appointed a com- mittee to buy a piece of land containing one acre from Charles Drake for two hundred dol- lars. It was the site that had been previously selected, and was a portion of the old Damascus Manor. This meeting also selected a board of trustees, consisting of Moses Thomas, Moses Tyler, John Mitchell, Webster Sutliff, James

C. Curtis, E. S. Page and Walter S. Vail, and another committee was empowered to solicit subscriptions of stock at five dollars a share, and secure a charter. Subsequently it was re- ported that a sufficient amount had been snb- scribed, and Moses Tyler was elected president of the board, with Charles Irvine as secretary and treasurer. The latter drafted the charter, which was obtained in 1849, and incorporated the institution as the Union Academy of Damascus. The necessary arrangements for the erection of the building were soon made. Joseph Tyler laid the foundation, and Cogswell Gordon, the architect, with the assistance of Joseph M. Brigham and Abraham Tyler, succeeded in com- pleting the structure during the summer of 1849. The total cost of the building was one thousand and fifty dollars, which was considered really more than the improvement was worth.

At a meeting of the trustees, held March 9, 1850, it was decided that the first term shonld begin on the first Monday of the succeeding May; that the fall and winter terms should commence on the 20th of September, and con- tinue, with one week's vacation through the holidays, until the 20th of March, 1851. Rev. A. M. Calkin was employed as the first princi- pal, and during the first term the attendance was so large that it became necessary for him to obtain a lady assistant. He also took the academy for the second term, in September, 1851, but was released at his own request, and James L. Appley was employed in his stead, commencing work in the spring of 1851, and continning until the following Jnly, wlien Mr. Calkin returned. He remained this time until the close of the scholastic year in 1856, when he was succeeded by Wheeler Mitchell, who tanght for five months, and gave place to W. A. Newton, of Narrowsburg. The latter rented the academy for one year, during which time he succeeded in getting the rental reduced from forty to twenty-five dollars, and was re-elected in March, 1859, for a second year. After his departure the academy remained closed for a time. It had been a financial fail- ure, and no one seemed willing to gnarantee the amount necessary to secure a principal. How- ever, in October, 1861, Misses McClogan and .

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Vaughn opened the school, only to give it up after a few months, and be succeeded by C. J. Lain, who also remained but a short time. In February, 1862, John Cairns came, remaining until April, 1865, when R. K. Scudder was secured for one year. L. D. Tyler took the principalship in 1866, and had a large patron- age ; but he remained only a short time, and was succeeded by Miss Bush, whose stay was like- wise transient. During the latter part of the year 1870 the academy was closed, and an at- tempt was made to buy up the stock and con- vert the school into a private property, but it was unsuccessful, and shortly afterward J. A. Mc- Laury opened the school with fair prospects of success. He remained for six years, doing ex- cellent work, and building up the reputation of the school, and was succeeded by L. W.Tyler (2d), was taught one term and gave place to W. W. Fletcher in 1877. He was assisted by W. J. Turner. The next principal was Rev. R. J. Kellogg, who was also pastor in the town at the time, and after he went to serve other charges, Frank Tuthill taught for some months.

S. D. Barnes, the next principal, remained for two years and his first term had not closed before the necessity for a new building was manifest. When he took the school there were but eleven pupils, but the number increased steadily, and soon the stockholders decided upon better facilities. On June 19, 1879, a new board of trustees was elected, consisting of C. E. Beach, J. M. Page, L. Bonesteel, Marcus Appley, J. T. Tyler, W. J. Bush and W. W. Tyler, and upon organization Charles E. Beach was elected president, and Leroy Bonesteel secretary. This was the first decisive move- ment toward a new building, although sonic of the more energetic stockholders had been plan- ning and estimating the cost of the contem- plated improvement and soliciting subscriptions to a new fund. To this latter there were gen- erous responses from Hon. J. Howard Beach, Mrs. D. M. McCollough, J. M. Page and others. A proposition to cut down the trees with which the academy tract was covered, and sell the lumber, excited violent opposition, but was finally carried, and a part of the lumber was made use of in the new building, while the

rest was rafted to Philadelphia, and sold at a good profit. The work of rebuilding was com- menced in July, 1880, and was completed in the following January. The building has a frontage of seventy-two feet, and is twenty-four feet deep. It is two stories high, with a Gothic roof, and is surmounted by a well-proportioned cupola sixty-five feet high. There are two airy study-rooms, each twenty-seven by thirty- three feet, and a number of recitation-rooms and other conveniences for the systematic conduct of a large school. The first term of the new academy began December 3, 1879, and at its close Mr. Barnes resigned. He was succeeded by T. N. Glover, who remained two years and then gave place to Isaac R. King, who closed his engagement in June, 1885. Since that time . no one has been selected.

DAMASCUS FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH .- The fact that Thomas Shields, the purchaser of the Damascus Manor, was an ardent Baptist led to the church of that village being the first in the county to own and occupy a meeting-house. The edifice was erected by Mr. Shields about the year 1800, and was deeded, together with the lots on which it stood, in trust, for a reg- ular Baptist Church and society, when organ- ized.

In the fall of 1820 Rev. John Smitzer visited Damascus and vicinity, but was not invited to preach there because of his close communion views. He called at the residence of Mr. Ste- phen Mitchell, however, and had an earnest conversation with Mrs. Mitchell, who had once belonged to the same church with him, and to this may be traced the beginning of the Damas- cus Baptist Church. Early in the following autumn Mr. Smitzer again visited the village, and soon afterwards twelve persons were or- ganized as a regular Baptist Church. A coun- cil of recognition was convened at Damascus, August 26, 1821, and nineteen persons-five males and fourteen females -- were recognized, seven of them being baptized in the Delaware River. On the 8th of September Jonathan Yerkes was chosen church clerk, and in No- vember Isaac Brown made deacon. The church was admitted to the association in 1822.

In March, 1826, Mr. Smitzer resigned his

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WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

charge. During the first year he had supplied the Damascus Church once a month, devoting the remaining time to Bethany and Canaan, and during the subsequent years of his pastorate he had divided his labors between Bethany and Damascus.

Although destitute of a regular pastor, the pulpit was supplied by Rev. Enoch Owen, a resident and constituent member, until Rev. Horace Jones commenced his labors, in May, 1827. He remained until 1830, when Rev. Charles H. Hubbard was called, and served un- til 1834. Mr. Robert C. Brisbane, a licentiate, supplied the pulpit for a time during Mr. Hub- bard's absence.

In 1832 a new church edifice was erccted, and was dedicated on the 7th of November. Mr. Hubbard resigned in February, 1834, and there was no stated preaching until April, 1835, when Rev. Junito Bixby was chosen for the fourth pastor. In December, 1836, while visit- ing some friends in Susquehanna County, he died suddenly and once more the pulpit was vacant. During the interim of nine months John T. Mitchell, a licentiate, supplied the charge, and in November, 1837, Rev. Joseph Currin was called. His pastoral relation lasted until April, 1839, and at this time the membership had increased to cighty.

Rev. Henry Curtis commenced his labors, as the sixth pastor, in May, 1839, dividing his work between Damascus and Bethany. During his pastorate much work was done in settle- ments adjacent and the foundations of other congregations were laid. Under his ministra- tions a church was organized at Callicoon, N. Y., with twenty-one members, chiefly dismissed from the Damascus Church. Mr. Curtis resign- ed in February, 1849, leaving the church with one hundred communicants.

Rev. John T. Mitchell was then engaged for six months as stated supply, and was followed by William C. Ulyat, a licentiate, who supplicd the desk for eight or ten weeks. Mr. Mitchell was then employed again, until Rev. Truman O. Judd became the seventh pastor.

The Baptist Church of West Damascus was constituted during his pastorate. Mr. Judd re- signed his pastorate and retired from the associ-

ation in May, 1852, being followed by Rev. Andrew Hopper, who served until 1854. Rev. John C. Shearman was his successor, and sup- plied the church once in two weeks up to 1855, when his entire services were secured. Abijah M. Calkin, who had been for many years a member of the Presbyterian Church, offered himself at a covenant-meeting about this time, and was baptized. Subsequently he was or- daincd to the Baptist ministry, and, in 1857, succeeded Mr. Shearman as pastor.

During the year 1855 the congregation, which had become a most prosperous one, pur- chased a lot on the west bank of the Delaware, a few rods below the church, and erected a tasteful parsonage. A great revival took place in 1856, after a series of meetings lasting for ninety days, and the membership was swelled to one hundred and thirty. In the year 1857 the semi-centennial celebration of the Abing- ton Baptist Association was held in this church.

Mr. Calkin remained pastor of the church until November, 1866, " beloved by all." The pulpit was then supplied by T. F. Smith for a month, commencing October, 1867, and then he was ordained and received a unanimous call.

In July, 1877, delegates were appointed to a convention called at Port Jervis for the pur- pose of considering the formation of a new as- sociation on the line of the Erie Railroad ; and in August of the same year the church with- drew from the Abington Association and joined the new organization. During this year the congregation purchased additional land for a burying-ground, at a cost of one thousand dollars. Mr. Smith's pastorate closed in April, 1873, and, after an interval of a year, Rev. Walter Gallant began his labors, April 12, 1874. During the interval that elapsed be- tween these two pastorates the church edifice was rebuilt and refurnished at a cost of six thousand dollars. It was dedicated June 2, 1874, the services being participated in by the following ministers : Rev. J. R. Remsen, Alden- ville, Pa .; Rev. Willianı Mckinney, Port Jer- vis, N. Y .; Rev. J. R. Angel, Damascus; Rev. W. P. Hellings, Scranton ; Rev. E. M. Blan- chard, Addison, N. Y. Mr. Gallant resigned

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in December, 1875, and in May, 1876, was succeeded by Rev. I. N. Earl. In October, 1874, the church withdrew from "The Orange and Sullivan Association." The labors of Mr. Earl closed the following April, and in Septem- ber, Rev. J. A. Bakewell was called, serving until April 1, 1880. F. H. Cooper supplied the pulpit the following summer, during which the church resolved to ask admission into " The Wayne Baptist Association," which received it August 25, 1880. Rev. S. N. Wescott became pastor the next October, and continued to serve until 1882, and was succeeded by Rev. C. H. Fitzwilliam, the present pastor, October 14, 1883.

The Second Damaseus Baptist Church was an offshoot from the First Church, and was composed originally of persons who lived chicfly in adjacent neighborhoods situated some six miles from the village meeting-house. For some years prior to the separation of the two congregations Rev. J. T. Mitchell had been stated supply, holding service in the neighbor- hood school-house. The nucleus thus formed was soon strong enough to have an independent existence, and, on December 19, 1851, at a council composed of brethren from the churches of Clinton, Callicoon, Honesdale and Lebanon, letters of dismission were granted to eleven persons,-seven males and four females. The sermon of recognition was preached by Rev. Henry Curtis. The infant church chose Rev. John T. Mitchell for its pastor, and he served acceptably until his death, which took place in the summer of 1856. He was immediately succeeded by Mr. John H. Dodge, a licentiate, and also one of the constituent members of the church, who acted as stated supply. He had served the church prior to this time, having occupied the pulpit in the autumn of 1852, during which time the regular pastor and most of his family were prostrated by severe illness. An interesting Sabbath-school and Bible-class were sustaincd, and the church was active in benevolent work of every kind. In October, 1857, Rev. Newell Callender was called, and, soon after his acceptance, commenced a series of protracted meetings in which lic was assisted by Rev. E. A. Harris. At the close of these,

forty-nine were baptized and admitted on pro- fession of faith, and the church was much strengthened.

THE DAMASCUS METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH .- The Damascus Circuit was organized in 1831, and the ministers, until 1843, were from the New York Conference. The first class was organized at Milanville, and was led by Jolın Tyler. Other appointments during the early history of the circuit were at St. Tammany, Galilee and Conklin Hill.

The early records of the circuit are quite deficient, and the following list, though contain- ing the names of all the pastors that could be obtained, is necessarily incomplete. They were Reverends Law, Silliman, Faulkerson, Smith, Webster, Hibberd, Barns, Ferris and Perkins.

Some of the most prominent members of the church during the early history of the circuit were Geo. Bush, Judge Tyler, Jesse Buslı, Benjamin Tyler, Calvin Tyler, Joseph Sutliff.

Until 1857 the respective classes worshipped in a Union Church, at Cochceton. During that year the Methodists withdrew, selling their interest to the Presbyterians, and built a church in Damascus village, on the site now occupied by the present cdifice. This was during the pastorate of Rev. E. W. Brecken- ridge. The first cost of the church was one thousand six hundred and five dollars. In 1874 during the pastorate of Rev. J. R. Angel, the church was rebuilt, at a cost of about six thousand dollars. The parsonage was built by Rev. N. S. Reynolds.

The following, in the order named, have served the charge since the building of the church in 1859 : Reverends E. W. Brceken- ridge, C. White, M. Swallow, D. Williams, S. Barner, J. L. Rasc, P. D. Clark, N. S. Rey- nolds, J. Underwood, J. R. Angel, R. J. Kel- logg, M. D. Fuller, A. W. Cooper, A. W. Loomis and A. C. Oliver.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF COCHEC- TON, though located in New York State, is sup- ported largely by residents of Damascus town- ship, with which its history is closely identified. The society to which it belongs was organized on March 9, 1812, in the school-house at " Co- cheeton Settlement," by the election of Oliver

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WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

H. Calkins, Simcon Bush, Moses Calkin, John Conklin, Elias Conklin and Ebenezer Witter as trustees, Ebenezer Witter and Bezaleel Calkin presiding at the meeting. In August following, Rev. Charles Cummins, of Florida, N. Y., preached at Cochecton, and admitted to church membership the following persons : Simeon Bush, John Conklin, Elias Conklin, Ebenezer Witter, Hannah Bush, Molly Skinner, Char- lotte Conklin, Jane Tyler, Hannah Jones, Mar- tha P. Richards, Eleanor Taylor, Hannah Wit- ter, Hulda Conklin, Eleanor Bush and Elizabeth Brown, and the organization of the church was completed by the selection of Ebenezer Witter, Simeon Bush and John Conklin as ruling elders, and Ebenezer Witter and Simeon Bush as deacons.

The archives of the church covering the period previous to 1840 have not been preserved, Only the names of a few of the early pastors have been preserved. Among those who min- istered to the infant church were Revs. Charles Cummins, Benjamin Van Keuren and James Petrie. At a meeting held on the 8th of March, 1839-presided over by Moses Calkin and George Bush-Moses Calkin, Jarad Irvine, Alexander A. Irvine, James C. Curtis, Charles Young, Nathan Skinner, Charles Drake, George Bush and Walter S. Vail were appointed trustees of an organization known as "The Presbyterian and Methodist Episcopal Society of the Town of Cochecton;" and a subscription paper to raise a building fund was started. The neces- sary amount was soon pledged, and, on May 6th, Moses Calkins deeded the church lot to the trustces for two dollars. The deed con- tained a proviso according the Presbyterians the right of buying out the Methodists at the cx- piration of ten years, by paying what had been contributed by the latter denomination. The contract for the church edifice was signed in June of the same year, and the building completed, at a cost of fifteen hundred dollars, on January 28, 1840, the dedication taking place on the 20th of the following month. It was afterwards determined by the trustees that the building should be occupied by the Presby- terians and Methodists every alternate week, and that it might be opened to other evangelical

denominations when the owners were not using it; but that it should not be " occupied by any denomination for the purpose of preaching or lecturing on the abolition of negro slavery, or the formation of any society connected with abolition in its present and popular sense."

On the 29th of April, 1855, the Presbyte- rian portion of the society reorganized as "The First Presbyterian Church and Congregation of Cochecton, in connection with the General Assembly of the Old School Presbyterian Church of the United States of America." Walter S. Wail, Charles Irvine, Robert T. Par- sons, William McCullough, Ellery T. Calkin and James C. Curtis were chosen trustees, and during the ensuing twelve months the title of the Methodist element was extinguished, and the building became the exclusive property of the Presbyterians. Subsequently it was im- proved, furnished with a bell and organ and other conveniences for worship. The clergy- men who have served the church as pastors and as stated supplies are as follows : George K. McEwen, from 1840 to 1841; William Riddle, 1842 to 1843; John Mole, 1845 to 1847; William Hunting, 1851; G. K. Mar- iner, 1852 and 1853; Thomas Mack, 1853 to 1859 ; Erastus Seymour, 1860 to 1864 ; Theron Brittain, 1864 to 1875. In 1876 Rev. George E. Northrop took the charge, and, in 1880, was succeeded by Rev. Samuel Murdoch, the present pastor.

The following persons have served as elders in the church : Ebenezer Witter, Simeon Bush, James Jackson, Hiram Dibble, Moses Calkin, Robert T. Parsons, James McArthur, Abijah M. Calkin, Ezra F. Calkin and Silas C. Beck- with. On the 5th of September, 1857, nineteen members were dismissed from this church to form the First Presbyterian Church of Damas- cus, mentioned elsewhere. The church is now in a prosperous condition.

THE COCHECTON BRIDGE COMPANY .- In the early part of the present century the ques- tion of a toll bridge over the Delaware River between Damascus and Cochecton was much agitated, and, in 1817, a sixty years' charter was granted to the Cochecton Bridge Company, in which the following incorporators are men-

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WAYNE COUNTY.

tioned : William Tyler, Benjamin Conklin, Moses Thomas, Moses Calkins, Oliver H. Cal- kins, Joseph Mitchell and William Brown. The first commissioners (now called directors) were William Brown, Benjamin Conklin, John Conklin, Oliver H. Calkins and Francis Craw- ford. Two years later, in 1819, the first bridge was built by Major Wheat. It had but one pier, and was so unsubstantial in its construction that it was never used, and fell of its own weight soon after completion. Its collapse does not seem to have shaken the faith of the stock- holders in Major Wheat, however, for in the spring of 1820 he moved to Cochecton and commenced work on another bridge, with two piers, Garrett Tymerson having charge of the earpenter work. This was completed in 1821, and the bridge company having complied with the terms of the charter, became regularly in- eorporated and secured a toll franchise. James Jackson, who was the first secretary and treas- urer, paid the first dividend of two dollars a share, which was declared June 1, 1827. This " Wheat Bridge," as it was always ealled, stood until the spring of 1846, when the western pier was undermined during the high water, and fell, together with the Pennsylvania and middle spans. A charter for a ferry was at once obtained, and as soon as a scow could be built, Albert Smith was employed as ferryman. Subsequently the ferry was leased by Thomas O'Reilly, who managed it for some time ; afterwards it came again into the hands of the bridge company, and Lukins Brush was in charge.

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History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 79

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