Territory of Scranton Immediately Prior to the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Co. Purchase

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THE TERRITORY OF SCRANTON

IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE LACKAWANNA
IRON AND COAL CO. PURCHASE.

By Edward Merrifield.

[HiSTORicAi, Notes, No. 4.]

The intention of this sketch is to describe the condition
of affairs in the territory which comprises the city of Scran-
ton, just at and immediately prior to the time when what is
now known as the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company
commenced operations ; prefacing, however, with a brief his-
torical account leading up to that time.

Originally this section was included in the Connecticut reser-
vation known as Westmoreland, Litchfield County. About
1773, Providence township was organized. A conflict as to
jurisdiction existed between Pennsylvania and Connecticut,
which was finally settled in 1782, by what is known as the
Decree of Trenton, recognizing the claims of Pennsylvania.
Shortly after, Providence township was organized as a part of
Northumberland County. In 1786 Luzerne County was set
off from Northumberland, Providence remaining a part of
said Luzerne until it became extinct by a portion being at-
tached to Lackawanna and the creation of the Borough of
Providence, March 14, 1849 ; the Borough of Hyde Park,
May 14, 1852; the Borough of Scranton, February 14, 1856;
the Borough of Dunmore, April 10, 1862 ; and finally the
merging of the Boroughs of Providence, Hyde Park, and
Scranton, and the remaining portion of the township, into
the City of Scranton, by act of the Legislature of April
23, 1866.

The first white settler upon this territory was Isaac Tripp,
who came in 1771, building a log house on the flats east of

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the residence of the late Col. Ira Tripp, on North Main
Street. Philip Abbott, who had purchased the tract upon
which are built the iron works and the principal part of the
business houses of the city, came in 1788, establishing him-
self near the old Slocum residence on the banks of the
Roaring Brook, and not far in rear of The Lackawanna Iron
and Coal Company's Steel Mill. Ebenezer Slocum subse-
quently became the purchaser of the Abbott property, settling
upon it in 1798, where he lived until his death in 1832.
He was the first to establish iron works in this locality,
attempting to make iron from the native ores. It did not
prove a success. Here in 18 16 was established the first post-
office, called Unionville, and Benjamin Slocum was appointed
postmaster. In 18 19 it was moved to the village of Provi-
dence with John Vaughn as postmaster. A post-office was
established at Hyde Park, Julv 14, 1832, and William Mer-
rifield appointed postmaster. In 1850, in the portion which
had been known as Unionville, then Slocum Hollow, subse-
quently Harrison, a post-olifice was established under the
latter name, with John W. Moore as postmaster. The name
was subsequently changed to Scrantonia, afterward Scranton,
and thus the territory remained with three post-offices, even
after the city was inaugurated. The first settler in Provi-
dence village was Enoch Holmes, and here it was that the
first church was erected. It was blown down before com-
pletion by the great hurricane, which on the evening of July
3, 1834, nearly destroyed the hamlet. The church was not
rebuilt. The first settlement in Hyde Park was in 1790 by
a Mr. Lindley making a clearing, and building near the
corner of Washburn and Main Streets, A Mr. Dolph fol-
lowed shortly after, settling on the opposite side of the street.
Elder William Bishop came later, and built a log house on
the same spot where now stands the Merrifield homestead,
just above the Masonic Hall. He was a Baptist, and the
pioneer preacher. The projector of the village, however,
was Philip Heermans, at whose instigation his brother-in-law,
Joseph Fellows, then residing at Albany, was induced to lay
out and sell lots, three-fourths of an acre in size.

Long prior, and at the time the white settlers first began

to come, there was an Indian village called Capouse, named
after the chief who was of the tribe of Monseys. ' It was
located on the flats east of the Diamond coal-breaker. Until
within about thirty years an old Indian apple-tree, great in
its proportions, stood there to mark the locality. It is
designated among the records as the first place for holding-
town meetings for the township of Providence. In 1813 the
place for holding township and general elections was fixed
at the house of Stephen Tripp, on Mam Street, at the sum-
mit of the hill above Hyde Park. This was the first public
house for entertainment.

The settlers were as a rule engaged in clearing up the land
and farming, hence the growth in population was slow, and
nothing of particular note occurred until the advent of the
projectors of the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company. The
attention of William Henry, of Stroudsburg, a geologist, and
man of scientific attainments, was called to this region. He
succeeded in securing the aid of capitalists, and in 1S38 com-
menced negotiations with William Ricketson, William Merri-
field, and Zeno Albro, who were the joint owners of the tract
upon which the Iron Company subsequently commenced
operations. On account of the death of Edward Armstrong,
the principal man, the arrangements fell through. Mr.
Henry subsequently induced George W. Scranton, S. T.
Scranton, and Sanford Grant to complete the purchase,
and on the 20th day of September, 1840, as Scrantons &
Grant, they commenced the erection of the blast-furnace.
This was the dawn of a new era for this section, and the
beginning of its development. As stated in the outset, it is
now proposed to describe the condition of affairs witiiin the
territorial limits of the city at that time.

There were four roads running up and down the valley.
On the Hyde Park side there was what was known then, as
now, as the Back Road, located about as it is at present. Then
came Main Street, which has not been materially changed.
On the easterly side of the Lackawanna, the street com-
mencing from the direction of Throop, and running on
through Sanderson Avenue, thence into Penn until passing
the Dickson Works, was practically the same. Prom there it

went diagonally across to the neighborhood of the Wyoming
House, thence down to the grist-mill, and past the old Slocum
residence, crossing the Roaring Brook just below the present
bridge into Cedar Street, which it traversed very nearly.
The other street was called the Dunmore road, the upper
part of which has not been materially changed. From the
neighborhood of the Moses Taylor Hospital it came diagonally
down past where the blast-furnace stands, intersecting the
road just previously described near the Slocum residence.
Running easterly and westerly was, first, Luzerne Street,
substantially the same as now until crossing the Lackawanna,
from which it ran across the fiats, winding along under the
hill until it intersected the north and south road near the
Slocum place. Jackson Street, on the Hyde Park side, was
about as it is now. After crossing the Lackawanna bridge
the street went directly up the hill, thence in a zigzag direc-
tion towards Lackawanna Avenue, and occupying nearly the
same ground until the intersection with the road leading to
the old grist-mill. Northerly there was the Drinker turnpike
coming from the direction of Abington through Providence,
now called Market Street, which still remains about as it was.
Another street branching off from North Main above Provi-
dence, leading through Capouse, has not been changed. The
street running from Providence diagonally across the Tripp
flats and through the Pine Brook section was not opened
until several years after. The Lackawanna was spanned by
two covered bridges, one at the foot of Luzerne Street, and
the other at Capouse ; and by two open bridges, one at the
foot of Jackson and the other at Market Street, Providence.

Along the back road the land was fairly well cleared up,
there being a belt of forest toward the lower and one near
the upper end. All along Keyser Creek it was densely
wooded, a considerable portion being swamp-land. The
creek abounded with speckled trout. The ridge back of
Hyde Park, from one end of the city to the other, was
almost entirely forest. In the vicinity of Main Avenue,
on each side, the land was principally cleared. The banks of
the Lackawanna were mostly wooded, especially the easterly
side. About Providence it was fairly well cleared in each

direction. There was more of the native forest standing
in the seventh, eighth, ninth, eleventh, twelfth, seventeenth,
nineteenth, and twentieth wards, than in any other section
of the city.

Commencing on the street below the Roaring Brook
bridge was the farm of Joseph Slocum, where he resided.
He was the son of Ebenezer Slocum, heretofore referred
to as a pioneer, and lived to a great age, having died
within a few years. The next was the old Slocum resi-
dence on the hill north of the bridge, then occupied by
Samuel Slocum. There was a good-sized farm attached.
On the bank of the brook was the stone grist-mill, and
opposite lived Barton Mott, the miller. On the hill north-
erly from the mill and across the street was a small school-
house. Following the street towards Hyde Park was a five
or ten-acre clearing in the neighborhood of Wyoming and
Lackawanna Avenues. Up the brook a short distance from
the grist-mill was the Slocum saw-mill.

On the road leading to Dunmore were the residence and
farm of Elisha Hitchcock. The house was in close prox-
imity to the corner of Monroe Avenue and Linden Street.
His clearing extended down a little below the corner of
Washington and Mulberry. All that section where the Court
House stands, extending westerly as far as Wyoming Avenue,
and on the south near the Wyoming House, was a swamp
covered mostly by spruce and tamarack trees. About where
the Young Men's Christian Association building stands was a
good-sized pond, which afforded to the lovers of skating a
place of recreation for many years after.

Going back to the Dunmore road, the first place above
Hitchcock's on the easterly side of the street belonged to
Jacob Fike, a German, and above him was Samuel Horn-
baker ; while on the other side of the road was Joseph Carey,
each having a small clearing. Over beyond the hill towards
Roaring Brook lived Baltzer Swartz.

On the road leading through Green Ridge, the first place
reached was the farm of Miner Carey. The house was on
the left-hand side of the street, on the same spot now occu-
pied by the house of the late Simon Ward, who performed

the first labor towards the erection of the Iron and Coal
Company furnace. Next beyond and on the opposite side
lived Frank Frazier, a gunmaker and repairer. A Httle further
on was Philander Howard ; and on the opposite side of the
road lived Michael Lutz. The Dings farm came next, it being
the place subsequently purchased by Henry Whaling, after-
wards by the late George Sanderson, the originator of the
Green Ridge enterprise. The house was near the place now
occupied by the Sanderson homestead. On the same side
of the street just beyond lived Thomas and Zeno Albro.

The next place was on the westerly corner of Market
Street and Green Ridge Avenue, then known as Griffin's
corners, where lived that substantial old farmer, Joshua
Griffin. Diagonally across and some distance up in the
lot was Philip Swartz, and above him in the direction of
Dunmore was John Besecker. Above the corners on the
road towards Olyphant was Jacob Besecker ; next John
Mills. On the same side of the street and quite a
distance back was Charles Wedeman. Philip and Zophar
Mead lived near the road. Back quite a distance was Peter
Moore, and then came Thomas Griffin, Jr., and the last
within the city limits, Philo Grifiin. Daniel Bowman's place
was on the westerly side of the street, near the intersection
of the Capouse road.

From Griffin's corners towards Providence on the right-hand
side and standing on the knoll was a school-house. Right
opposite lived John G. Finch, shoemaker. Jacob Myers lived
under the hill near the bridge. Across the bridge stood the
grist-mill as now. A short distance west of the mill lived
John Drake, the miller. On the side of the hill near the
summit was John Vaughn, then one of the Justices of the
Peace for Providence township. In the same house lived Mr.
Williams, with whom Sweet Gardner was a boarder.

This brings us to the corners. The village was usually
called at that time Razor\alle. On the southerly corner of
Market and Main Streets was the store and residence of Alex-
ander Jeffi-ies. Opposite on the easterly corner was the widow-
Betsy Griffin's place, the front room of which was occupied by
Mrs. R. H. Lackey as a millinery store. On the northerly

I

corner was the tavern of Nathaniel Cottrell, now known as the
Bristol House. Westerly and opposite was Cottrell' s store,
managed by Charles T. Atwater. In part of the same building
lived Robert Higgs, tailor. Pursuing the old turnpike west-
erly and tirst above the tavern was the home of Esquire Elisha
S. Potter. Next above was the tailor-shop and residence
of Asa Corson. Then came the old red house, which is still
standing, and where Atwater lived and with whom I think
Maria Snyder, his sister-in-law, made it her home. Nearly
opposite was Solomon Newton. On the hill and where is now
the home of the late W. W. Winton, lived a Mr. Prosser.
Mr. (Griffin lived next above on the opposite side. Quite a
distance beyond on the westerly side of the street was Ebenezer
Leach, tanner and currier. His establishment was nearly
opposite. Next above and on the corner of Market and the
Back Road, lived Aaron Gregory, and above him Jacob Silk-
man. From Gregory's corner on the Back Road leading
down through what was then called the Briggs Settlement,
lived the following farmers in the order stated : William
Lockwood, Stephen Wheeler, and Tobias Kilmer. Mrs.
Lydia Brown and family were quite a distance easterly
towards Tripp's. Going back to the road, came IraTownsend,
Samuel Church, Thomas Moat and his father-in-law Nathan
Roberts, Job Briggs, Tanner Briggs, Abner Briggs, Peleg
Briggs, Jeremiah Briggs ; then at the intersection of Jackson
Street came Isaac Gray, next Martin Washburn, Alva Allis,
and across the way Benjamin Corbin the carpenter. On the
opposite side was a school-house. Next Elijah Luckey, and
last Daniel Dodge, where the southwesterly city line is
reached.

Going back to the upper end of the city, traversing Main
street, on the right-hand side was Ephraim Stevens, then
Samuel, and next William Stevens. John McDonald followed,
then Mrs. Hutchins. Opposite lived Samuel Ward, wood-
turner; then came Spencer's saw-mill and grist-mill. Peter
Bond had been the miller there, but whether just at that time
is in doubt. Edward Spencer and his brother Calvin lived
nearly opposite.

We then come to the road leading to Capouse, where

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Artemus Miller carried on the business of wool -carding
and making cloth. Jerison White lived there and was just
about completing an axe-factory. Coming back to Main Street,
the first place reached was that of Henry Heermans. Besides
conducting a farm he had a store of general merchandise, and
Sylvanus Heermans, a noted politician of those days, was the
clerk. Next below was Aretus Heermans, and nearly opposite
was the Bell school-house. Col. Ira Tripp was the next
resident. Below and on the same side was a dwelling-house,
occupant not recollected, and next the cabinet-shop of Newton
& Bennett, which brings us to the Cottrell travern. On
the other side of the street and below the Bell school-house was
John Kinney. Next and almost at the corner was Williams'
blacksmith-shop, then the corner occupants heretofore referred
to. Passing the Cottrell store, on the westerly corner we
come to the tavern of Jacob R. Bloom. Across the way was
a wagon-shop and the residence of R. H. Lackey. On below
was Charles H. Silkman's law-office. Crossing the street and
below Bloom's tavern was a log house occupied by Harvey
Chase. Next came John Stewart, shoemaker, then the Van-
stork homestead, occupied by William Vanstork and brothers.
Ferdinand Vanstork came next. Nearly opposite and about
where Bright's wagon manufactory how stands, was built
during the summer of 1840. one of the famous log cabins
incident to the spirited political campaign of that year. The
next place below and on the right-hand side of the road,
was the residence and office of Dr. Silas B. Robinson, the
only physician in this section at that time. Dr. Benjamin H.
Throop came and opened an office in Providence in October.
Next came Thomas Griffin, one of the noted farmers of that
period ; below him Philip C. Griffin. Then came the Tripp
homestead, which still stands a monument to the enterprise of
its founder, Isaac Tripp, senior. It was built in 1825, and
with the exception of the porches and recent modern improve-
ments, remains about as originally erected. It was occupied at
that time by Isaac Tripp, now residing in Kingston, Luzerne
County, brother of Ira. Next came Benjamin Tripp. Next
below and on the hill were Stephen Tripp and his three sons,
Samuel, N. W. and William H. The house still remains.

1 1

Next and close by the glen lived Charles H. Silkman, the only
lawyer at that time, Down the ravine a short distance was
the Holden Tripp residence, then occupied by William
Silkman.

Returning to Main Street, the next place on the right
was that of W. W. Winton. Then came Samuel Depuy
on the left, then John Launch ; next Talman Corbin.
William Merrifield's store and residence, then Robert Merri-
field came next, the buildings still remaining. Nearly
opposite was the residence of Alva Heermans, Justice of
the Peace, then came the Hyde Park school-house. Be-
low lived William Engler the wagon-maker, then came
his shop, and opposite, the noted yellow tavern, recently
owned by Thomas Briggs, where all the balls of that period
were held. It was kept by Frederick Hubbell, with whom
John Sherman and family lived. Diagonally across the
street was Corbin's cabinet-shop. Next J. A. Atherton,
shoemaker ; then Mrs. P. Hotchkiss, with whom lived her
daughter and son-in-law William Ricketson. Opposite was
the blacksmith-shop of Orr & Decker. Next the Charles M.
Orr place, then George Decker and Abel S. Cosier.
Opposite and on the corner of Main and Jackson was the old
white tavern, kept by N. D. Green. On the westerly corner
was the Heermans blacksmith-shop. In the next house lived
John Heermans; next Harmon B. Dailey, cooper, and then
Calvin Washburn. Opposite was Z. R. Knapp. The only
church building in the territory was next, standing on the
corner of Main and Division Streets. One of the original log
school-houses, in a dilapidated condition and not in use, was
on the other corner. A little below to the left lived Henry
Fellows. Next came the store and residence of David
Benedict, situate on the corner of Main and Luzerne Streets.
Edrick Davis lived on the opposite corner, and a short distance
below was Benjamin and Joseph Turvey Fellows, father and
son. The next place was that of Sylvester and Lester Bristol,
manufacturers of grain-cradles. On the opposite side was
Henry Knapp, and the last within the city limits was Joseph
Griffin.

Returning to Luzerne Street and going east, Thaddeus B.

12

Newton had a small store near the corners. Nearly half a
mile beyond was John Fellows, father of our recent mayor.
Next was the widow of Benjamin Slocum ; and not far from the
bridge lived Thomas Nichols, coal-miner. On the same street,
west of Main, were William Atwill, Thomas Taylor, and Dan
Pepper. The latter lived near the creek and had a saw-mill
opposite. West from Main on Jackson Street, the tirst
resident on the right was Thorn Griffin, opposite Jonas
Knickerbacker. On the side hill above was Milton Knicker-
backer. On the hill to the right, James Kilmer. On the left-
hand side beyond lived Elder William K. Mott. Next came
Andrew Winton, and at the foot of the Boon Hill was John
Boon, from whom the hill took its name. East of Main
on the same street there was but one place, and that the
farm of Sylvanus Fellows, whose house stood at the foot of
the hill.

This completes the list of families and counts up about one
hundred and thirty. There were a few persons who were not
housekeepers, all of whom it would be impossible to
enumerate. Among them, however, were Luke Flood, who
mined most of the coal about Providence, and Jacob Teeter,
butcher. Whether Henry Reichard was here at that time I
have not been able to determine. There were others
prominently identified with this section, so much so that they
ought to be named herein, but who lived outside the present
city limits. Among them Hon. A. B. Dunning and Chas. W.
Potter.

Estimating according to the usual rule for agricultural com-
munities, this would indicate a population of six hundred and
fifty. There were sixty-one farms, forty-two of which were on
the west side of the river. The land, especially on the west
side, was very productive, it not being unusual to note a yield
at the rate of six hundred bushels of potatoes per acre,
thirty bushels of wheat, and eighty of shelled corn. The
market was partly at Pittston, then the head of the North
Branch Canal, but principally at Carbondale, the seat of
the coal-mining operations of The Delaware & Hudson Canal
Company.

There was some wild game, but it was not abundant as is

13

generally supposed. Neither did the Lackawanna teem
with brook-trout. Suckers, chubs, catfish, and eels were
rather plentiful. The homes of the speckled beauties were
Leggett's and Keyser's Creeks, and Roaring Brook, where the
follower of Isaac Walton found abundance to gratify his
ambition, and boys could catch them on a pin-hook.

The manufacturing interests were represented by four shoe-
making, three blacksmith, three wagon-making, and one
cooper-shop, one axe-factory, one grain-cradle and two
cabinet-making factories, one fulling-mill, one gun-making
and repairing shop, one for wood-turning, and two for
tailoring, four saw-mills, three grist-mills, and one tanning
and currying establishment.

Coal was mined and sold for domestic use by William
Merrifield from the side of the Hyde Park hill, back of
the Baptist Church, by Tripps near the Diamond mines,
and by Vanstorks on their place near Providence. While
the people understood the importance of the coal deposit,
it gave the land no appreciable value, because there was no
way of getting it to market.

The selling-price of improved land was from fifteen to
twenty-five dollars per acre.

There were six stores for general merchandise and one
millinery shop. Merchants as a rule bought goods in New
York which were shipped by the Hudson River to Rondout,
thence by the Delaware & Hudson Canal and Gravity railroad
to Carbondale, and from there hauled down in wagons. From
Philadelphia they came by way of the North Branch Canal to
Pittston.

There was a line of two -horse coaches running through
the valley between Wilkes- Barre and Carbondale, going up
one day and down the next. The principal route to New
York was by way of Carbondale, thence to Newburg and
down the Hudson River. It took nearly three days to get
to the city. To Philadelphia the route was by way of Wilkes-
Barre, thence to Easton and Philadelphia, all the way by
stage. This gave to the inhabitants a tri-weekly mail from
each direction. It is instructive to note that letter-postage
at that time was graduated according to distance. The least

14

was sixpence, then one shilling, and then one shilling and
sixpence, and so on.

There were four licensed hotels, all doing a fair business,
especially the Cottrell stand, as it occupied a convenient place
for travelers going by way of the Drinker turnpike ; also the
old white tavern at Hyde Park, which was central between
Carbondale and Wilkes-Barre, and the dinner-station for
the stage travelers.

The educational interests had not been neglected. There
were five school-houses ; the one at Hyde Park and one at
Providence being kept open the greater portion of the year,
but part of the time by private subscription. The male
teachers received about eighteen dollars per month, and
boarded around among the patrons of the school. Never-
theless it commanded fair talent ; indeed, there was no
difficulty for any person desiring it, to become well versed
in the common English branches. Among the educational
features was "The Providence Union Library" with a goodly
number of valuable historical and scientific works, and
with headquarters at Hyde Park. Connected with it was
a debating society which was faithfully kept up during
the winter months. It is a singular circumstance that,
from the beginning of the material prosperity of the valley,
the interest in the library began to languish, and it finally
collapsed.

There was but one church building. That was erected
by the sect called Christians, but when not occupied by them
was used by other denominations. It stood on the corner of
Main and Division Streets, Hyde Park. The school-houses
were utilized for religious services, and scarcely a Sunday
passed but that meetings were held in one or more. In
the Methodist denomination the district was in the Pittston
circuit, and Rev. P. G. White was the minister. Rev. Mr,
Ellis succeeded him, and moved into the old Holden Tripp
residence in October, 1840. Alva Heermans, an exhort er
among the Christians, preached occasionally, as did Rev.
Nathan Roberts, who lived over in the Briggs Settlement.
The stand-by, however, was Elder William K. Mott, that
faithful and devoted Baptist minister, who, besides holding

15

regular Sunday services at the Hyde Park church, had quite
a circuit in the surrounding townships.

Of those heads of famihes named herein there are but
four left who still reside in the city : Jacob R. Bloom, William
Vanstork, of Providence, George Decker, of Hyde Park,
and Balzer Swartz. Of their immediate descendants (children,
I mean), there are about fifty.

These were the people and such their surroundings fifty-
five years ago. They had plenty to live upon, but knew
nothing of luxurious living. If money was scarce, their
wants were few. Neighbors met during the winter evenings
around the big open fire-places of those days, their spirits
as exuberant and their faces just as cheery as though the
occupants of palaces. Who can say that they were not as
happy, even their enjoyment not greater, than those who now
find themselves in their places in the midst of a big city ?

October, 1895.

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