USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Honesdale > History of the First Presbyterian society of Honesdale > Part 18
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Thaddeus S. Fitch was born at Sherburne, N. Y., in 1825. He came to the Narrows in 1849 and entered the employ of the
*Note. Since writing the above there appeared in the Independent an article copied from the New York Sun in which it is stated that one Charles Law, of Pittston, knows where all of the parts of the Stourbridge Lion are. Mrs. Wheeler, February 11, 1905, made statements substantially as follows : I was married to U. V. Wheeler in 1843 and he began to take the Stour- bridge Lion apart before he married me. It stood above where the Fow- lers' mill now is and he had a blacksmith shop where the company's barn now is. He forged parts of the Stourbridge Lion on his anvil at different times and the bolts and braces he made were used on the high works. He forged up what I would call the handles, (probably the side bars.) He told me that the Stourbridge Lion would be more valuable as a relic than the value of the iron he was forging, in a few years, for it was beginning to be talked about then, but he had to obey orders. Several men helped him as strikers and Leon Smith one of these strikers told me after my husband's death that he remembered that a spark from the anvil burned Mr. Wheeler's wrist, causing him to lose a pint of blood while he was holding a piece of the Stourbridge Lion on the anvil for the strikers. Mrs. Wheeler's mind is clear and her account is so circumstantial that it seems certain that she is correct in her statements and that portions of the valuable relic are lost forever. John Torrey made exhaustive researches which are in the hands of the government at Washington and they are making an earnest effort to supply all of the parts of the first engine that was run on a track in America.
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Delaware & Hudson Canal Company. The next year he came to Honesdale and after a time became foreman on the dock where he worked until he died in October, 1892. He married Mary Ward and his children were Lucy wife of R. H. Brown, Howard, Emma wife of W. G. Blakney and Benjamin. Mr. Fitch was a church member and a trustee for a time. Richard H. Brown, son of John R. Brown, is a contractor and builder. As such he built the chapel and did the repairing on the churchi in 1904 and 1905.
Lieutenant Robert N. Torrey, son of John Torrey, was born August 1, 1838. He graduated from Yale Scientific school and May 13, 1861, enlisted with Company C, Sixth Pennsylvania Reserves, of which company he was first lieutenant, and he be- came quartermaster of the regiment. He resigned on account of ill health but enlisted again in 1862 in Company G, One Hundred and Forty-first Pennsylvania Regiment under Colonel Madill. In 1863 he became brigade quartermaster. He was injured by a tree falling on his tent and again by his horse fall- ing on him. October 24, 1864, he was mustered out. He was married February 23, 1864, to Elizabeth D. Thompson eldest daughter of A. P. Thompson, of Port Jervis. Shortly after the war he entered into partnership with Coe Durland in establish- ing the Durland & Torrey Shoe Company, which became Dur- land, Torrey & Co., after Andrew Thompson came into the concern. He was on the Borough Council a number of years and was a trustee of the church for several years. He died April 30, 1887, leaving two daughters, Clara R. and Edith F. Mrs. Torrey and her daughters are active workers in the church and Sabbath school. Miss Clara R. Torrey in particular, is active in mission work and Sunday school work, besides being a member of the choir and Christian Endeavor Society.
Isaac N. Foster, son of I. P. Foster, was born June 22, 1824, at Montrose. He accompanied his parents to Honesdale in 1827 where he lived until he died September 5, 1897. He and his brother William went into business with their father in the store on the corner of Main and Ninth streets and in the
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tannery at Blandin. He and George Foster, son of William, continued the mercantile business until 1894, when a fire occur- ring that destroyed a portion of their stock of goods, they closed out and converted the second story into offices. The postoffice property with offices in the second story is also a part of the Foster property. He married Caroline Conger, of Montgomery, N. Y., and their children are Susan, widow of R. W. Ham, and Grace, wife of George Post. Mr. Foster and his wife were members of the church and he was for a number of years presi- dent of the board of trustees.
William W. Weston was a trustee of the church for a time and he was a pewholder and member for many years. He was born at Ellenville, N. Y., November 7, 1828. After receiving a common school education he worked for his father in the man- ufacture and sale of stone-ware. In 1849 he erected the pot- tery which his brother Horace continued to operate after 1854, when he engaged in mercantile business with C. W. and Smith Requa, running a line of canal boats from Albany, N. Y., in con- nection with their Honesdale and Ellenville stores. In 1857, after the building of the Erie railroad, the Requas took the Ellenville store and Weston continued in the Honesdale store until he died. Besides his store business he was engaged in a tannery at Little Equinunk, Honesdale Glass Company, and creameries. He helped organize the Wayne County Savings Bank in 1871 and was its president until 1896. October 1, 1857, he married Anna E., daughter of I. P. Foster. His second wife was Mary E., the accomplished daughter of John F. Roe. Of his children, Bessie B. is the wife of L. D. Spragle, Harriet R. is the wife of H. S. Battin. The boys are William F., Charles W. and George C. Weston Attorney at Law in Phil- adelphia.
Hon. Cornelius C. Jadwin has been a pewholder and con- tributer to the church since he came to Honesdale in 1862. He was born in Carbondale, March 27, 1835, and was educated in the public schools, becoming a school teacher. He has been engaged in the druggist business since he came to Honesdale
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and was one term, 1880-2, in Congress. He was also a mem- ber of the School Board a number of years. He married Lottie E., daughter of Ezekiel Wood, of Seelyville, April 7, 1864. Captain Edgar Jadwin, his son, graduated with honor at West Point, and the only living daughter, Grace, is a teacher in the Honesdale High school. Mrs. Jadwin and the children are members of the church.
Lyman O. Rose, the last Superintendent of the Delaware & Hudson Canal, was a pewholder in the church and his wife and daughter Vinnie are members of the church. Mr. Rose was born in Orange county, September 27, 1835, and he was in the employ of the company from boyhood. His son Kirk is in the employ of the company in the mining department.
Colonel Coe Durland was born in Orange county, October 31, 1832, and he died in Honesdale in 1901. He was in the Civil War as Captain of Company M, Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and he became Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel by bre- vet, commanding the regiment at last. He participated in fifty- two battles commanding in thirty-three. In 1868, in connection with Lieutenant R. N. Torrey, he established the Durland, Tor- rey & Co. shoe business. He was a pewholder in the church and his wife and several of his children are members.
Henry Wilson, editor of the Citizen and member of the bar, has been a pewholder in the church for years. His wife and his children were members.
O. T. Chambers, druggist, O. M. Spettigue and Graham Watts, hardware merchants, are members and supporters of the church. The list of pewholders and church members will show the names of the supporters of the Honesdale Presbyterian church. Many of them are worthy of extended mention but the limitations of this work are such that it can not be done.
Edwin Fuller Torrey, son of John Torrey, was born in Honesdale, June 4, 1832, and he is the oldest man that was born in the borough, now living. He left home when about 12 years old and attended school at Flushing Institute. He was one year in Amherst Academy and two years in Amherst Col-
4
H. S. SALMON A. T. SEARLE
J. D. WESTON
E C. MUMFORD
W. H. STONE
HON. G. S. PURDY
E. F. TORREY
S. W. POWELL
E. A. PENNIMAN
BOARD OF TRUSTEES, 1904
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lege. He then went into his father's land office where he re- mained three or four years, then he purchased Charles Weston's interest in the flouring mill at Honesdale, about 1854, and was in partnership with James R. Dickson, and when Mr. Dickson retired he purchased his interest. This was the principal flour mill in the county and did as high as $140,000 business a year. July 6, 1865, Mr. Torrey was elected a director in the Hones- dale National Bank and he has been connected with the bank ever since. On the morning of September 14, 1876, Stephen D. Ward, the cashier of the bank, died suddenly and Mr. Torrey, as one of the youngest of the directors, was called from his business in the mill to take temporary charge of the affairs of the bank. October 1 of that year he was appointed acting cashier and November 26, following, he was appointed cashier pro tempore, and on July 6, 1877, he was appointed cashier, a position which he still holds. During all these years he has handled millions of dollars, including $1,250,000 of dividends paid to stockholders, and not one dollar has passed through his hands that has been unaccounted for. Years ago banks made their loans to home business men. The National Bank capital was increased on account of the large tanning, lumbering and other interests that needed loans. This has largely changed and banks are loaning money in the cities on corporate mort- gages and other security. The first loan of that kind ever taken by the Honesdale National Bank was negotiated by Mr. Torrey. Such loans are customary now but it marked an epoch in Hones- dale banking when it was first done. Mr. Torrey was first elected a trustee of the church in 1863 and he has acted in that capacity a good part of the time since then, being presi- dent of the board a portion of the time, having served a longer time as trustee than any other person. His conduct as trustee has been characterized by the same conservative management as has given stability to all of his business life. He has been trustworthy and thoroughly reliable in every position which he has filled. By his first wife, Jeanette Stone he has two sons living, John, of New York, and Edwin, of Clinton, N. Y. His
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second wife was a daughter of Rev. Adam Miller, of Harford.
Seth Ward Powell was born January 5, 1838, at Cam- bridge, England. He came with his parents to America, who located in Honesdale about 1840. Seth commenced to clerk in the store of William H. Cushman when he was 17 years of age and remained there with Cushman and his successor, Chap- man, a number of years. He attended school after that and then clerked for William Reed five years, after which he was partner for five years. He next bought out H. C. Hand and went into the mercantile business where Henry Freund is. After seven years there he bought out the Charles and Egbert Reed store, known as the old Arcade, about 1874, and continued in business there until the store was burned out about 1889, since which time he has not been engaged in any business. In 1863 he married Helen Bryant and has three children, Fred- erick Powell, M. D., William, a dentist, and Mary, wife of Martin Heft. He has been on the board of trustees for twenty- six years and secretary for about twenty years of that time. He had oversight of the work for the Building Committee when the chapel was erected, also when the manse was built. Mr. Powell has made his own fortune and he is a faithful, upright man in his dealings.
Hon. George S. Purdy, president of the board of trustees, was born in Paupack, January 24, 1839. He is descended from Rev. William Purdy who settled in Paupack in 1792. He was educated in the common schools and taught school for a time. Then he was commissioners' clerk, after which he read law with Hon. S. E. Dimmick. In 1893 he was elected Presiding Judge of the Twenty-second Judicial District without opposition, and reelected again in the same manner in 1903. In 1873 he mar- ried Agnes Addoms, step-daughter of Hon. Otis Avery and sister of Mortimer C. Addoms, of New York bar. They are regular attendants upon the services of the church and helpful in its undertakings. Judge Purdy enjoys the respect of the bar and community for his integrity and candor as a judge. His de- cisions are seldom reversed. As a trustee he exercises the
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same candor as in his other relations, and his opinions are sought and his judgment is valued in maintaining the church.
Edward A. Penniman, son of Francis B. Penniman, was born in Cleveland, O., April 4, 1836. He removed with his parents to Binghamton, thence to Honesdale in May, 1845. His father had preceded the family, having established the Honesdale Democrat, now Citizen, September 17, 1844. Ed- ward was educated at the Honesdale Academy, and commenced to learn typesetting in his father's office when a boy. After leaving school, when he was about 18, he entered into the work of the printer, which has been his life work. On the second of September, 1857, he went into partnership with his father and the fourteenth volume of the Democrat was issued by F. B. Penniman & Son. At the close of the fourteenth volume E. A. Penniman purchased his father's interest in the concern and became sole editor and proprietor and so continued with no change in name or size of the paper until January 18, 186-4, when he changed the name to the Republic and enlarged it somewhat. In 1868 the size was increased and it became the Wayne Citizen, and in 1873 the Honesdale Citizen, with Henry Wilson and E. A. Penniman as editors. Mr. Penniman has especial charge of the local news department, which he has con- ducted very successfully for many years. May 10, 1860, he married Annie E., daughter of Alanson Blood. He has been a member of the Presbyterian church for many years and he and his wife sang in the choir for about twenty-five years. A few years ago he was elected one of the trustees of the church. Mr. Penniman is a pleasant conversationalist and a very com- panionable man to meet on the streets, in his office or his home.
John Decker Weston was born in Ellenville, N. Y., in 1856. He came to Honesdale in 1873 to work for W. W. Weston. After clerking for him five years he entered the employ of Dur- land & Torrey Shoe Company as traveling salesman. In 1888, when R. N. Torrey died, he purchased his interest in the shoe company. In 1898 the Durland-Thompson Shoe Company was incorporated and Mr. Weston became treasurer of the corpora-
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tion, and in 1904 he was elected vice president and treasurer. Mr. Weston understands the boot and shoe business and has secured a competence through good business management. He is now one of the trustees of the church. He married Carrie, daughter of Coe Durland, and she has a good reputation for acts of charity.
Henry Scott Salmon, son of C. M. Salmon, was born at Susquehanna, Pa., August 24, 1854. During his boyhood his parents removed to Paterson, N. J., then to Port Jervis, thence to Honesdale August 24, 1869, when Scott was 15. He was educated in the public schools and clerked in Salmon & Dele- zenne's store one year, when he entered the Wayne County Savings Bank as clerk, in January, 1873. He soon became teller and in 1898 he was made cashier. He was school direc- tor fifteen years and secretary of the board fourteen years of the time. He has been trustee and treasurer of the church since 1892 and a Sunday school teacher since 1877. He is at present assistant superintendent of the Sunday school. He has discharged his duties in all these positions with marked fidelity. He married Margaret, daughter of R. A. Smith, in 1876; they have two children, R. Milton, a graduate of Lafayette College, and Mary Grace Salmon.
William H. Stone was born in Mount Pleasant township, October 6, 1839. His father was Henry W. Stone, a merchant at Mount Pleasant, and had a tannery and store at Beech Pond. William was in the tannery at Beech Pond for a number of years, then he was in the hardware business with Knapp & Spettigue. After selling out he took the insurance business of George F. Bentley, about 1878. He has been Notary Public since 1890. He was librarian and treasurer of the Sunday school about twenty years. He is one of the board of trustees of the church. His sisters, Harriet, wife of Hon. C. P. Wal- ler, Jeanette, first wife of E. F. Torrey, and Charlotte, wife of Horace C. Hand, have all been active workers in the church. Mr. Stone's wife was Miss Cornelia S. Short. Her mother, aged 96, resides with her. Mr. Stone is true in his friendships
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and faithful in the performance of his duties.
Elwin C. Mumford, son of Hon. James Mumford, was born at Starrucca, Pa., August 8, 1851. Of his seven brothers, two were captains in the Civil War, and both were killed, Oliver at the battle of Petersburg, Va., and James in the battle at Chan- cellorsville. Elwin C. was educated in the public schools and the Millersville Normal school. He commenced reading law with Hon. M. J. Larrabee, of Susquehanna, Pa., afterwards with Waller & Bentley, being admitted to the bar, September 6, 1876. In 1878 he was elected District Attorney of Wayne county, and for six years he was attorney for the board of county commissioners. He is also a member of the Town Council and director in the Wayne County Savings Bank. He is a shrewd collector and has an interest in several business ventures. He is a trustee of the church and has favored the improvements that have been recently made. He married Ella F. Sutton and has an interesting family of children.
Alonzo T. Searle, son of Rev. R. T. Searle, a Congregation- alist minister, was born at New Marlboro, Berkshire, Mass., September 13, 1856. He graduated from Amherst College in 1877. He taught for a time in Rutland, Vt., and in Chelten- ham Academy near Philadelphia. He came to Honesdale from the law office of B. S. Bentley, of Williamsport, Pa., to the of- fice of George G. Waller in 1881, after the death of George F. Bentley. He completed his law studies with Mr. Waller and was admitted to the bar in 1882 and the same day formed a partnership with his preceptor. Since Mr. Waller's death in 1888 he has practiced alone. In addition to his law practice he is embarked in a number of other matters of business. He is a director in the Wayne County Savings Bank, a trustee of the Presbyterian church and a member of the School Board. In 1882 he married Margaret B. Irwin and they have one son, Charles, now at Amherst College. His mother, Mrs. Emily A. Putnam Searle, is a talented lady and helper in the mission work of the church.
William T. Moore was born at Stratford, a suburb of Lon-
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don, October 16, 1847. He came to Canada with a club of three hundred laborers and after six months' stay there came to Honesdale where he secured employment with John Brown, with whom he worked five years, then he worked with Alanson Blood for a time, and having learned the cabinet maker's trade, he commenced business for himself in 1883. He is an honest, temperate, successful furniture dealer and undertaker. He mar- ried Susan Marsh, daughter of Alexander and Caroline Marsh, and they are both active members of the church and useful members of society.
William H. Lee was born January 1, 1849, in Clinton township, Wayne county, Pa. He obtained his education in the common schools and Delaware Literary Institute, at Frank- lin, N. Y. He taught school for a number of years, then read law with S. E. Dimmick and Waller & Bentley and was admit- ted to the bar in 1874. From 1875 to 1878 he was deputy treasurer under Paul Swingle. He was chairman of the Repub- lican county committee for six years, winning some notable victories for his party. In his professional life he has success- fully managed several large estates. He married Louise E. Wentz in 1878 and has two daughters the eldest, Louise, being a graduate of Vassar. Early in life he was admitted a member of the Baptist church. At Honesdale he is a regular attendant upon the Presbyterian services, his wife and daughters being members of the church. His sister, Miss Jennie S. Lee, is also an efficient church worker.
Chancy A. Cortright, son of Volney and Philena Hamlin Cortright, was born in South Canaan, Wayne county, Pa., in 1838. His father's ancestors were from Flanders and were among the pioneer settlers of New York. He married Lizzie Battan and engaged in the mercantile business in South Canaan for a few years, when he hired as clerk for John F. Roe and re- moved to Honesdale in 1865, where he has since resided. After working for Mr. Roe for eight years he opened a store of his own on Main street, and he has been engaged in grocery business, fruit business, livery and street sprinkling in recent
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JOHN BOYD JOHN CONGDON
G. W. PENWARDEN WM. T. MOORE
WM. H. LEE
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years. Mr. Cortright and his wife have been members of the church for many years. They are very accommodating people and are helpful in the church and community in many ways. Mrs. Cortright has been president of the Pastor's Aid Society for a number of years and in that connection has done much work for the church. They have one son, Eugene H., who was sheriff of the county one term. He married Florence Yale and they have one daughter.
Stockholm B. Wood, son of Jesse E. Wood, was born at Fishkill on the Hudson, February 18, 1830, and removed with his parents to Wayne county in its early history. Jesse Wood had a family of twelve children, ten boys and two girls. Among the boys was Rev. John A. Wood, a Methodist minis- ter, who died in California, July 7, 1905. In 1880 he wrote, that with the exception of his sister Lucy and his mother, there had been no deaths in that large family with all their descend- ants for fifty-eight years. S. B. Wood married Marietta Hull, of Hawley, November 2, 1854, and removed to Scranton for a short time, then he came to Honesdale where he has since re- sided, following the occupation of a cartman. His living chil- dren are William, of St. Louis, Mo., Nellie, wife of Charles Knapp, of Detroit, Mich., and Jessie, wife of Henry Z. Russel, of Honesdale. Mr. Wood and his wife have been faithful members of the church for many years.
Walter W. Wood was born in New York City, February 2, 1848. Educated in the public schools. Enlisted as a pri- vate in Civil War at 16 years of age. He was married in 1867 to Elizabeth J. Kirkpatrick, and they have six children. Joined the Methodist Protestants in 1868 and superintended the Sun- day school; was steward and trustee of Attorney Street church in New York. After this church sold their property and pur- chased property in Brooklyn, Mr. Wood canvassed the field and organized a Sunday school with 360 scholars. He came to Honesdale in 1886 and connected himself with the Presby- terian church. He, for a number of years, successfully man- aged the National Elevator and Machine Company which gives
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employment to about one hundred men. He has been assistant superintendent and librarian of the Sunday school.
Augustus Porter Thompson, son of Andrew and Frances Torrey Thompson, was born at Honesdale, Pa., December 29, 1873. He was educated at Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass., and Yale University, from which he was graduated in 1892, after which he became a member of Durland & Thompson Shoe Company. He joined the church in 1888 and was elected trustee in place of E. F. Torrey, resigned, at the annual meet- ing of the congregation in 1905. June 6, 1901, he was mar- ried to Miss Georgia E. Rowley, of Williamsport.
MEMBERSHIP ROLL.
The following are the constituent members of the First Presbyterian church of Honesdale, which was organized Feb- ruary 11, 1829:
Isaac P. Foster.
Mary Foster, his wife.
Horace Baldwin.
Olive P. Baldwin, his wife.
Stephen Torrey.
Rebecca Schoonover, wife of Levi Schoonover.
Lucy Forbes, wife of Chas. Forbes. Charles P. Clark.
Joseph L. Kellogg.
These members all joined by letter. The subsequent members have been:
Cybil Luddington, March 6, 1829.
Miss Elmira Jagger, May 28, 1829. Miss Elizabeth Foster, May 28, 1829. Maurice Wurts, June 1, 1829.
John Littlejohn, June 1, 1829.
John B. Mills, June 1, 1829.
Stephen Brush, July 15, 1829.
Dianthe Brush, his wife, July 15, 1829.
Emeline Losey, wife of Dr. Losey, July 15, 1829.
Albert Foster, July 15, 1829.
Richard L. Seely, October 11, 1829. Isaac Rozel, October 11, 1829.
Miles L. Benedict, 1., (letter,) No- vember 25, 1829.
Sarah Barnum, l., November 25, 1829.
Solomon Z. Lord, 1., June 25, 1830. Adeline Lord, his wife, 1., June 25, 1830.
Russel F. Lord, 1., June 25, 1830. Rebecca Campbell, wife of Rev. J. Campbell, 1., June 25, 1830.
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