History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 87

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 87
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 87
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 87

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choicest gifts in springs of bright, pure water. Water which for cool excellence is no where excelled.

Of the aboriginal dwellers here, scarcely any traces remain. No burial-places are known. No trails. With the passing away of the early settlers, tradition and reminiscences of the In- dian measurably ceased.

The first permanent settlement was without doubt at Stockport, where Samuel Preston, Sr., located in 1790.1 We gather from a document now in possession of the descendants of Mr. Preston that there were whites in the township prior to 1792, but from the tenor of the docu- ment (which was written by Anthony Butler, as agent for the Penns, in 1791) we infer that those who were here, were depredators, upon the timber of the region. Prior to the settle- ment of Mr. Preston, at Stockport, Josiah Parks had become owner of what is now known as the Stockport Flats, or at least one hundred and ninety acres thereof. Not realizing the value of these lands, he sold them to Mr. Preston for a consideration as insignificant as that for which Esau sold his birthright. Judge Samuel Pres- ton who settled at Stockport, as already stated, in 1790, was born in Buckingham township, Bucks County, Pa., and his father, Paul S. Preston, was also born and reared in Bucks County. The family were Quakers, and the progenitors of the American branch of the family came over with Penn. He acquired the title of the land owned by Parks. Before us is an order written, in 1788, by Jacob West, to George Ross, certifying that he (West) had dis- posed of "that tract of land on Topolie (a por- tion of the Stockport lands), to Mr. Samuel Preston," and relieving Ross from further care of the same. Mr. Preston entered into partner- ship with Mr. Henry Drinker, of Philadelphia. Drinker owned large tracts of land in the county, particularly in Buckingham and Damas- cus.

Of these Mr. Preston had a general super- vision. Previous to his locating at Stockport

1 See the sketch of the Preston family, by Francis B. Penniman, at the close of this chapter, quite different in many respects, from Mr. Wood's account, but not at variance with it in matters of fact.

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he had looked through Luzerne and part of Wayne County for an eligible site for a town, to be built under the patronage of Drinker. Drinker was pleased with a situation on the Susquehanna River, now in Susquehanna County. Mr. Preston assisted in laying out, and starting the young town, calling it Har- mony, then preferring Stockport, he located there. A road was cut through from Stockport to Harmony, and men from Harmony assisted in commencing improvements at Stockport. Mr. Preston gave the name Stockport to his chosen location, and Buckingham to the township, names which seemed as heir-looms to the Pres- ton family, and cherished as having been the original home of the family in England. Evi- dently he was a man of enterprise and force of character, and possessing a liberal education. Improvement at Stockport went forward briskly under his management. This is shown by the assessment of 1806, which shows that he then had one hundred and thirty acres of improved land and three mills, two saw and one grist- mill. At this period, people have but a faint conception of the difficulties encountered, and the obstacles to be overcome by the early settlers of this region. All merchandize, machinery and implements were procured with much labor, much of it being brought up the Delaware in Durham boats. It was certainly twenty years after settlement was begun at Stockport, before there was any road through from the Hudson to this portion of the Delaware Valley. Mr. Preston remained single until 1795, when he married Mercy Jenkins, of Dover, Dutchess County, N. Y. The marriage took place at Stockport, and with Quaker ceremonials, but it having taken place " out of meeting," they were declared no longer members of the Society of Friends. Work went steadily forward on the Stock port plantation. Orchards were set out, and some of the trees planted before the com- mencement of the present century are standing yet, and bid fair to stand at the dawn of the next. Many anecdotes are extant, which well illustrate Mr. Preston's eccentricities. Letters, documents, etc., written by him, evidence a strong vigorous hand and a clear logical mind. His autograph affixed nearly a century since,

stands in as bold relief, and as strongly marked, as the famous sign manual of John Hancock. One document possesses especial interest from its showing how he became possessed of Equinunk Manor. It appears that the Penn heirs, were allowed, in consideration of their proprietary rights, to hold certain tracts of land through the State. We infer that the State, on the forma- tion of the State government, confirmed them in the ownership, i. e., if certain regulations were complied with, the principal of which was that they (the proprietary manors) should be resur- veyed and returns thereof made prior to July 4, 1776.

Certain it is that Anthony Butler, as agent for the Penns, earnestly entreated Mr. Preston to take charge of the Proprietory Manors in this section, naming the different ones, but urging more strongly the care of the Equinunk Manor, which he represented as having been trespassed upon by parties who were stripping it of timber. Mr. Preston reluctantly consented, and Butler executed power of attorney (copy of which taken from the records at Easton is before the writer). This gave to "Samuel Preston, Gentleman, of Stockport, Pa.," full power to evict all tres- passers, to have the lands resurveyed, in short, to have full supervision of the same. Equinunk Manor contained two thousand two hundred and twenty-two acres lying on the Delaware, embracing the mouth of Equinunk Creek, then on both sides of the creck for a distance of two miles from its mouth. Mr. Preston, says, in his memorial, that he found at Equinunk "several acres cleared, in part by Indians and people living on it, being a rendezvous and home for persons in the practice of stealing timber. Here they supported and kept their teams, and my endeavors to stop them in their evil practices were but little regarded." In February, of 1791, he represented to Butler the condition of affairs, and at the same time stating that he would be glad to purchase the manor at a reasonable valuation. Butler assured him he should have it as soon as he could be justified in selling it, at the same time desiring him (Preston) to try to buy the possession right of the trespassers, failing in which to eject them. Act- ing under these instructions, Preston bought

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possession of the trespassers, had more land cleared, fences built, yet to protect the property was obliged to keep men there to care for it, Butler assuring him that as soon as he could get a valuation of the manor from George Pal- mer, who had surveyed the tract, he would arrange for the transfer to Mr. Preston. Seeing Palmer soon after at Easton, he obtained from him the following :

" The Proprietaries manor at Equinunk containing 2222 Acres and allowances, contains to the best of my recollection about 200 Acres of bottom land along the creek, in many places badly gullied Worth 20 s. per Acre £200

2022 Acres on the hill, stoney land. The hills next the river when surveyed werc finely timbered with pine timber, which I believe is now nearly all destroyed, worth 2 s. per Acre 202.4

€402.4

"Easton, March 25th, 1791. " GEORGE PALMER."

Mr. Preston continues: " I then wrote But- ler what I had donc, and that if the title to the manor was indisputable, that I would take it at Palmer's valuation, and at the same time of cx- penses incurred in obtaining possession, and of matters pertaining to the survey of the other manors. In his reply he was totally silent as to the Equinunk Manor." Having already been to considerable expense in caring for the manor, for which Butler showed no disposition to reimburse him, and becoming appreliensive that in some way John Nicholson, Esq., of Philadelphia, was likely to become owner of this land, he wrote to Philadelphia requesting that scarch be made in the land office for the date when the survey of the Equinunk Manor was made, and when returned to the land office. The reply as follows :

" Proprietaries 2222 Acres on the West side of the River Delaware, including mouth of Equinunk Creck, called 'Safe Harbor,' Surveyed the 23d, 25th, and 26th day of December, 1773. Returned Nov. 8th, 1779."

This was certainly three years later than the Act of Assembly specified. Learning this, Mr. Preston immediately wrote to have these lands entered for himself. Going soon after to Phil- adelphia he called on Butler with the view of

effecting an amicable arrangement, but could do nothing with him, not even receiving "civil treatment." Mr. Preston therefore purchased the Equinunk Manor of the commonwealth. He further shows the duplicity of the Penns, and their agent Butler, by the statement to the ef- fect that " on the 19th of November, 1779, the Proprietaries presented a memorial to the Leg- islature mentioning, that by a law of the State, such of their manors as were not returned on or before the 4th of July, 1776, were escheated to the State and praying relief in the premises." Prayer not granted. In conclusion, Mr. Pres- ton says : "I have a long unsettled account with Mr. Butler, but wish it had been with a gentleman furnished with good manners and candor, of which he appears to be very desti- tute." This matter has been dwelt on at length, from its being considered of especial in- terest, as affording an insight into the policy of the Penns, as well as showing how the young commonwealth regarded the family and treated their claims. No doubt the Penns were noto- riously disloyal, while professing to be friends and supporters of the struggling Republic.1

To return to the settlement at Stockport. While giving much of his time to other affairs, Mr. Preston pushed forward improvements here. But space allowed will not permit the

1 The implication is often made that Judge Preston be- came possessed of much of his land in a questionable man- ner, i. e., from tax sales, &c. In the documents kindly furnished us by Miss Preston, are several letters written by Mr. Preston to parties informing them that he had at treasurer's sales bid in certain tracts designating them, and naming sum paid, at the same time stating how and for how long they were redeemable. It is difficult to see any great wrong-doing in this.

It is also insinuated that he wronged the Drinkers. Be. fore us is a document showing that some difference existed between him and Henry Drinker, and that five men werc appointed to appraise the property at Stockport, Before us is the original valuation of all the real estate and per- sonal property to the most insignificant articles. Total of real estate, twenty-two thousand six hundred and ninety- nine dollars. Personal property at $2922.90. Work com- pleted and signed by the appraisors on the 15th of Decem- ber, 1812. With this and proper accounts it is hard to see how the Drinkers could have been wronged to any great extent. The Drinkers seem to have been uniformly unfortunate in their operations in the county. It could not have been entirely Judge Preston's fault.

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dwelling too long here. Considering how largely he was connected with other matters, it is a matter of surprise that he (Pres- ton) should have fonnd much time to devote to Stockport. He was interested in and had a sort of supervision of the "Union Sugar Com- pany's " undertaking in Manchester, and had a road cut through from Stockport to the Com- pany's location. He frequently journeyed to Philadelphia, to his old home in Bucks County. Eitlier of these was as formidable an undertaking as a voyage to Europe is at present. He was ap- pointed the first associate judge of the county in 1798. For a long time his mail was received from Mt. Pleasant. A post-office was estab- lished at Stockport, in 1820. Before the writer is a letter from R. J. Meigs, postmaster-general, to Mr. Preston, informing him of the establish- ing of the office and of his (Preston's) appoint- ment as postmaster. Mail matter then came by way of the Newbury turnpike to Mt. Pleasant, thence to Stockport. To the early settlers in this section Stockport was indeed a haven of refuge, and many were the needy who looked for, and found assistance here, in dark and try- ing hours.

From the commencement labor was in steady demand at Stockport, and the settlers were often glad to resort there to obtain supplies in ex- change for labor. Judging from all the infor- mation obtainable it is easy to conclude that Mr. Preston earnestly desired that the region in which he had located should be settled and im- proved. To promote this he gave every en- couragement possible to those who settled near him. A few aged people in this vicinity yet speak of him, but not disparagingly. His house was noted for the liberal hospitality shown to the many who frequented it.

John Knight came with Mr. Preston to Stockport in 1789. He was then eleven years old. He evidently lived with the Prestons for some years and married Rebecca Jenkins, a sister to Judge Preston's wife. He first settled in Buckingham, on Shrawder's or Ball's Creek. He appears in the assessment of 1806, as own- ing three hundred and thirteen acres of land and one horse. Subsequently he settled opposite Stockport. His sons were William, Daniel, 51

John, Richard, George and Charles. They were all highly respected citizens. Charles only of the family is living.

Abram Dillon came into the township with Judge Preston. He settled on the river, about half way between Equinunk and Stockport. Here he cleared a large and valuable farm. He reared a family of five sons, viz. : John K., William, Hamlet, Hamilton and Abram, and two daughters. John K. and William lived and died on the old homestead. George R. and Robert, sons respectively to John R., and William, are now owners and occupants. Two of the sons, Hamlet and Hamilton, are yet liv- ing in the State of New York. No family in the township has been more highly respected than the Dillons.

North of Stockport the first settler was Ben- jamin Owens, at the mouth of Shchawken Creek. The writer can learn nothing of his antecedents. He was succeeded there by Thomas Travis, who cleared there a large farm. He was suc- ceeded by his son, Thomas Jr., who was unfor- tunate in business, and the farm passed to other hands. Benjamin Sands located near Travis. He appears in the assessment of 1806, as owning a mill. This was on Shehawken Creek, a short distance from its mouth. His descendants yet live in the town of Hancock, N. Y. Thaddeus, Paul and Ezra Newton were certainly early settlers, as all of them appear in the assessment of 1806, as farmers, Thaddeus and Paul being assessed for a mill. They located on the west branch of the Delaware, opposite what is now the village of Hancock, N. Y. That they were good citizens, we infer from the fact that they are yet spoken of with reverent respect by those who knew them. Ezra Newton, Jr., yet lives on a portion of the old homestead. The New- tons werc from Massachusetts. Thomas Holmes settled on Shehawken Creek, about one mile from thic Delaware, in 1816. He was very eccentric, yet a man of considerable en- ergy and perseverance. He cleared here quite a farm, and built a saw-mill. He died, leaving a fine estate to his family, but lawyers and crafty manipulators have absorbed it. Blackall W. Ball settled prior to 1806, at the mouth of Shrawder's Creek, Ball's Eddy receiving its

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name from him. He was a Quaker, and from the vicinity of Philadelphia. He also had a saw-mill.

Subsequently the farm was owned by James More, now by his son, Clay V. More. At what is known as Little Falls, George W. Hubbell settled at an early period. He is mentioned as being a wheelwright. John Barrager settled prior to 1806, on the river between Dillons and Stockport. One of his sons, George, is still living in the township.

Abiel Squires came into the county at an early date, probably about 1800. He lived for some time with Judge Preston at Stockport. About 1810 or 1812 he, with Thaddeus New- ton, started and for some time maintained a distillery, near Little Falls. His son, Mr. Jus- tin G. Squires, informs the writer, that his father was making money at his distillery, but after running it a few years he, for some reason, abandoned it altogether. This was the first and only venture in the distillery business in this part of the county. After abandoning the distillery, Squires located at Lizard Lake, some four miles from the Delaware.

The situation there is well described in a letter written in June of 1799, by Jason Torrey, Esq., to Blackall W. Ball, at whose request Mr. Torrey had explored the lands. The land is described as being excellent in quality ; the fine water-power, etc., are graphically dwelt upon.

He says : "The road from Stockport to Sus- quehanna passes within one mile of the land. Affixed to the letter (or copy of letter), is a draft of the tract, and the attest that said tract had been surveyed in November, 1793, to Blackall W. Ball. Signed Anthony Crothers, D. S. Daniel Broadhead, Surveyor General. Evidently Ball was not struck with the advan- tages of the location, but settled, as stated be- fore, at Ball's Eddy. Mr. Squires, however, at a later date, thought the situation a desirable one, and located there, built a saw-mill, and cleared a large fine farm, and lived there un- til his death. The property is now owned by M. D. Wheeler, Esq., of Hancock.

Jonathan Jones settled near the mouth of Shehawken Creek, on the place where Benjamin Sands commenced. He was an esteemcd citi-

zen, being for a long time a justice of the peace, and once county commissioner. His son, Frank M., lives on the homestead ; anoth- er, S. Perry, near. A daughter, Mrs. Theodore Murray, also lives in the township. They are worthy descendants of a good stock.

On Kingsbury Hill, some two miles from the Delaware and four from Hancock, N. Y., are some fine farms, and good society, composed chiefly of descendants of those who first located there. The first to permanently locate there was a Mrs. Kingsbury, a widow with a large family of children. She came there from Con- necticut, in 1816. She had a large family of children, Elias, the oldest, being a young man. There were no improvements, no roads, and the nearest neighbor two or three miles away. Nevertheless, the family dropped into the forest home; and, although the howl of the wolf was their nightly music, and the yell of the panther often awoke the e ho of the hills, and though hardships, unremittent toil and privation were daily with them, yet they had come to stay. Thomas Kingsbury, Esq., one of our most es- teemed citizens, lives now on the farm where his mother settled. He is the last of the family living in the township. Descendants of the others live in this and adjoining townships.

Mr. Abel Belknap, from Stillwater, N. Y., were the next, settling there in 1817.1 Mrs. D. B. Belknap, a daugliter of Abel, resides with her husband on the farm where the father set- tled. D. B. Belknap and George H., worthy residents of this neighborhood, were from Chenango County, N. Y. After Abel Belknap and prior to 1820 came on to the Hill, Jolm Hoffman, Abel and David Whelpley. None of them nor of their descendants remain in the township.

The Woodmansees, Gideon, James, and Thomas, natives of Connecticut, settled in 1818, on the Stockport Road, some six miles from the Delaware.

Among the settlers in the township prior to 1806 were the Coles. Three of them, viz., Nathan, Peter, and Joseph, lived in the present

1 The writer is under obligations to this estimable lady for interesting facts touching the early settlement on the Hill, and matters of general interest.

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limits of Buckingham. They have left numerous descendants in this and adjoining townships.

In returning to "the place of beginning," as surveyors have it, we may mentally come over to the west part of the township, striking the Equinunk Creek at High Lake. No settlement was attempted in this part of the township until as late as 1840 About this time several fami- lies of Irish settled here. It was, at as late a period as that, an uninviting place in which to locate. There was no road through to the Dela- ware, or good ones in any direction. John Cary was one of the first. He settled near High Lakc. His son John lives now on the farm on which Cary settled. Within a few years many other families of Irish dropped in. About High Lake, the Clunes, McGraths, Kanes, Gilchrist, and Murphy. South of this, about Fork Moun- tain Pond and Crooked Creek, the McGarys, McKennas, Connelys, Flannigan, Rourk, Ken- nedys, and others. As a rule, they came with little but their muscle ; but by patient industry and economy, they now possess good, comfort- able homes, many being in affluent circum- stances, and are good, law-abiding citizens,- constant in their attachment to their Church, and in their undying love for the Green Isle of Erin, yet ardent in their attachment to the country of their adoption. The chance sojourner among them will long remember their open- handed hospitality.

Coming down the Equinunk Creek it is found that one Hubbard Wainwright located about one and a quarter miles from the river, on the flat near the junction of the Creek with its south branch, over sixty years since. He made some little improvement here, and was engaged in lumbering. He was killed accidentally within a few years after settling. It appears that some parties had dropped in between Wainwright and the river. Evidently they were nomads, and dropped out, and their names are forgotten.

Extended notice has already been given of Judge Preston's becoming owner of the Equi- nunk manor, and of his making some improve- ments herc, building a mill, &c. But for some reason, but little in the way of improvements was carried forward here before 1830, when Mr. Alexander Calder saw the place, and saw

at once the advantages it possessed for lumber- ing, &c.

Mr. Calder was a minister of the M. E. Church, and in his journeyings as an itinerant he became acquainted with Mr. Israel Chap- man, then of Andes, Delaware County, N. Y. Through the representations of Mr. Calder, Chapman was induced to remove to Equinunk. Prior to the removal, however, they jointly purchased the entire Equinunk manor of twenty- two hundred and twenty-two acres, the most of which lay within the present limits of Buck- ingham. Soon after the purchase, both re- moved here with their families, and commenced improvements. First they built a saw-mill ou the Manchester side of the Creek. Soon after this they commenced the erection of a tannery on the small stream called (from the proposed tannery) Factory Brook, the site of which is some fifty rods from the Delaware. The tan- nery was to be of stone. Considerable work had been done, the foundation laid, and the walls raised to quite a height, when an apple of discord fell into the concern. Work was aban- doned on the tannery, and for years its walls stood defying the elements. A division of the land was then effected, Mr. Calder being awarded the portion on the river and on both sides of the Creek for a distance of about half a mile from its mouth ; Mr. Chapman that part lying above on the Equinunk Creek. (Further mention will be made of Mr. Calder in the chapter on Equinunk.)

After the division, Mr. Chapman located on the portion awarded him, about one mile from the Delaware. He was in every respect a re- markable man.

His strong points were tireless industry and indomitable perseverance. He was sincere in his professions, unyielding in his convictions, earnest and forcible in his denunciation of cvery species of vicc, immorality and wrong, and thoroughly honest. Though confronted by many difficulties, he set resolutely to work, built one saw-mill about two miles from the river, at a later period another about half a mile; cleared a large and valuable farm, erected good buildings, and he passed to the control of his children in 1852 a valuable property. Hc

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died in 1854 at the residence of his son-in-law, Mr. Hamlet Dillon, at Conklin, N. Y. Men- tion should have been made that notwithstand- ing the multiplicity of his cares and labors, he for many years preached to the people of the vicinity. He had four sons and five daughters. Three of each survive him, one son, John W., residing in the township. A large portion of the farm is owned and occupied by Mr. Thomas Tyner, a genial son of Erin, who was at one time one of the commissioners of Wayne County. The lower portion of the Chapman farm is owned by F. R., T. J. and William Holbert. This brings us back to the Dela- ware. In the necessarily brief retrospect of the township past, there has been much which must remain unnoticed-many names of those now living in the township on whom it would be pleasant to dwell. Of such citizens as J. E. Woodmansee, George W. Sherman, George Wainwright and many others the writer would make especial mention would the limits of the work allow.

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History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 87

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