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In November, 1814, the township previously known as Willingborough received from the court the name of Great Bend, on the petition of a number of its inhabitants. The original township of Willingborough, comprising what is now Harmony, Oakland and Great Bend, was erected in the northeastern part of old Tioga, in Luzerne County, in 1791. It was so far from Wilkes-Barre, the county seat, that for two years the records only show the appointment of road viewers. The township limits were defined in April, 1793,
VIEW FROM MANOTONOME.--After winding our way up an ascent about six hundred feet above the valley, we found ourselves on the top of a flat rock which stands out prominently, so that from this point an extended view of the Susquehanna Valley, with its mountain scenery, can be had. This mountain has been named Manotonome. The mountain southeast from here is named Miantonomah, for the famous Indian chieftain of that name; and these are not altogether arbitrary names, for the Indians once occupied this beautiful sequestered valley, pursued the deer and elk on these mountains and fished in the deep waters of the beautiful Susquehanna that winds leisurely along, a meandering stream, through the flat lands below us. The Lenni Lenape once claimed all this region, but long ere the white man ever beheld this lovely vale the proud Six Nations had conquered the Lenape and occupied these grounds. The fugitive Tuscaroras that joined the Five Nations, having wandered from the Carolinas, their ancient seat, found a home and had a little village in this valley at Lanesboro', and the pioneer settlers well remember that hundreds of Indians formerly wandered up and down this valley. There was an Indian burying ground on the Dimon farm, now owned by Mr. Carl, and Indian relics have been found there. The hill just beyond this farm is called Mt. Tuscarora, in remembrance of this tribe. As the eye sweeps farther west, we have Trowbridge Hill, a beautifully rounded spur that stands out towards the river, while directly in front of us is Du Bois Hill and Round Top. The latter is very symmetrical and beautifully rounded, hence its name. James Du Bois has recently constructed a carriage way up to the top of Manotonome, and the project is certainly worth the labor of the ascent. The view down the Susquehanna extends as far as Binghamton and takes in Kirkwood and other intervening towns. The river not only makes a great bend northward here, but it flows first in one direction and then in another, down the valley, in such a manner that the silver sheen of its waters can be seen as it is reflected by the sun at intervals, a long distance down the valley, resembling a chain of lakes. The deep, still waters of this river reflect the beautiful mountain scenery through which it flows. The mountains are beautiful rather than bold or sublime; every corner seems to have been smoothed and rounded by the Divine Artist, until every outline is a line of beauty. The rounded spurs and hills, following the sinuosities of the river, present a varying aspect from different standpoints, so that the traveler's eye never wearies, but is constantly refreshed by an ever changing landscape, at once pleasing in form and restive in its quite repose. But nature is not alone here; art has added to the scene the two boroughs of Great Bend and Hallstead, which are enlivened by the hundreds of trains that are passing up and down the valley, on the Erie, and Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroads. No Indian war-whoop ever sounded so shrill as their locomotive whistles, and no deer ever was so fleet as their through express trains. It is just one hundred years ago at this writing (1887) since the white man first made a permanent settlement at Great Bend, the first in Susquehanna County, and who can stand on this point of observation, as he beholds all the evidences of modern improvement and a century's progress and contrasts it with a vast untamed wilderness, a dense pine swamp inhabited by wild animals and men as savage as they, without being confounded with the great wonders God has wrought for his people? And who can drink this pure crystal water and breathe this pure mountain air, without feeling that liberty has its home in the mountains, and here it shall ever abide?
The view from Pine Grove Spur is one of exquisite and rare loveliness. The dead level flat land below, carpeted with living green closely shaven as a lawn, with the extended chain of mountains up both sides of Salt Lick Creek, as it breaks into and widens the valley of the Susquehanna at the Bend, making an extended flat which is enclosed by mountains so as to make an amphitheater like valley, is truly beautiful. George Catlin, with his keen, artistic eye, saw more beauty in this scenery than anywhere else in his extended travels. Ascending still higher above the pine grove, a more extended view can be obtained, taking in both boroughs and the river, together with the surrounding mountains. The Indians, with an intuitive perception of the beautiful, made Great Bend an camping place and built a little village here. "The Three Indian Apple Trees" and "Red Rock" were landmarks of Indian occupancy for many years after the white man had taken possession of the lovely vale whose surrounding hills and wild forests had sheltered and protected their rude wigwam.
SETTLEMENT.--(**Footnote--Miss Blackman) The Strongs at the West Bend, the Comstocks at the East Bend, and the Bucks between them at Red Rock were here about 1787. It is known that the first two families preceded the last named, though it is not positively stated which one of the two was first in the vicinity.
"The public records of Luzerne County show that Ozias Strong, June 9 1790, bought of Tench Francis, for one hundred and thirty pounds sterling, four hundred and fifty-three acres of land north of the river, in the vicinity of the present Great Bend bridge. Two days later, Benjamin Strong (possibly a brother of Ozias) bought, of the same landholder, six hundred and one acres south of the river, on both sides of the mouth of the Salt Lick. This tract was sold by B. Strong, September 21 1791, to Minna Du Bois and Seth Putman, for seven hundred pounds sterling. Minna Du Bois was made attorney for his brother Abraham, of Philadelphia, June 23 1791. On the same day of Ozias Strong's purchase, Tench Francis gave deeds to other parties. Ichabod, Enoch and Benjamin bought of him one hundred acres for one hundred and twenty-five pounds."
"Elisha Leonard had lands adjoining Ozias Strong's (which adjoined S. Murch's), and Edward Davis' also adjoined lands of E. Leonard's. . But few items have been preserved of the families who came to Great Bend before 1790. The Merrymans were here when Nathaniel Gates came. The latter had lived, previous to 1778, at Wyoming, though he was from home, engaged in his country's service, when the massacre took place. Mrs. Gates fled with others to the mountains, and finally reached Connecticut, with her seven children, where she was afterwards joined by her husband. One child being sick during her flight, was carried by a neighbor, while Mrs. Gates carried another in her arms and one on her back. The rest were able to walk. The family had lived in Wayne (now Pike) County before coming to Great Bend. Three children of N. Gates were drowned in the Susquehanna, but their bodies were recovered and buried at Great Bend, February 16 1791."
Nathaniel Gates was one of the thirty-one Yankees that settled on Wallenpaupack manor, in Pike County, in defiance of the proprietaries, in 1774, and it was his daughter Mary who discovered a band of Tories lurking near the settlement in 1777, while looking for the cows. She gave the alarm and the Tories were captured by the settlers and taken to Connecticut.
The following is a list of taxable inhabitants in Willingborough in the year 1796, together with their accessed valuation in pounds, shillings and pence.
Pounds, Shillings Pounds, Shillings
Jonathan Newman--------92 8 Simeon Wiley-------------43 4
Ichabod Buck-----------55 8 James Abbey Swift--------10 8
Benjamin Buck----------51 8 Asa Adams----------------53 0
Jonathan Dimon---------96 0 Jonathan Bennett Jr.-----47 16
James Parmeter---------59 8 Enoch D. Buck------------24 8
Ephraim Ames------------7 0 Jedediah Adams-----------22 18
Samuel Hayden----------77 1 Stephen Murch------------22 16
Samuel Hayden Jr.------20 0 Jonathan Bennett---------89 0
Elias Van Winkle-------24 8 James Bennett------------28 0
Otis Beed (or Reed-----51 4 Enoch Merriman-----------24 12
Elisha Babcock---------48 8 Gershom Smith------------29 9
John Hilborn----------100 8 Nathaniel Gates-----------6 0
Nathaniel Lewis---------9 8 **1 As_____ _____-------170 8
Isaac Hale-------------10 8 **2 Orasha Strong--------67 8
Marmaduke D. Salsbury--31 8 Henry Smith--------------76 8
William Smith----------23 8 Ralph Lathrop------------45 4
James Westfall----------4 0 Thomas Williams----------46 4
Abner Comstock---------16 0
Joseph Strong---------168 8 Total--------405 12
Major Oliver Trowbridge came from Connecticut in 1796. Horatio Strong had received a license to keep a tavern that year. Oliver Trowbridge bought his log house and built on a framed part, an upper room of which was used by the Masons as a lodge room. The walls of this room were papered, it being the first instance of the kind in the county. This tavern stood just below where the branch railroad formerly crossed the river. He had four sons and four daughters. The sons were Nobel, Augustus, Lyman and Harry. Noble Trowbridge in 1810 built the wing of a house years afterwards occupied by his son Oliver. The old bar room, kitchen and dining room of this once famous tavern were well preserved for many years, long after the old sign of the Indian and his arrows had ceased to invite the traveler to rest. The building has recently been remodeled and converted to a farm house. He had six daughters and three sons--Oliver, who has removed to Chicago; Grant, a wagon maker at Great Bend, and Henry (dead). Lyman Trowbridge settled in the south part of the township, near Salt Lick Creek, in 1810. He kept the toll gate on the Great Bend and Cochecton turnpike for fourteen years, at the rate of one hundred and twenty-four dollars per year. . He was also justice of the peace. Amasa, his eldest son, resides on the Dexter Parmeter farm, and he says that David Thomas, of Great Bend, Orra Storrs, on Mott Hill, and himself are the three oldest settlers now living on the Great Bend and Cochecton turnpike from the State line to Wayne County line. Mr. Thomas is eighty-three and Mr. Trowbridge is eighty years old. Daniel and Seelye Trowbridge, who lived on the
Honorius Preston afterwards became owner in 1867. C. H. Warner is the present occupant. Jacob Clark kept a tavern on the next farm. His sons, John Jacob and Moses, removed from the place. Sewell Corbett then owned the farm which is now owned by James Johnson. Josiah Stewart owned the next farm, including a Sawmill and grist mill on Salt Lick Creek. John Strong, a carpenter by trade, afterwards owned the property. John McKinney next purchased the property and ran the mills; he also started a carding and cloth dressing works. His son, Comet McKinney, now owns the property, but the grist mill has ceased to grind, and the saw mill does but little work. Henry McKinney, another son, is a resident of Great Bend. Gerritt Johnson lived and died on the next farm. Luther Mason, Seelye Trowbridge and Paul Barriger have successively occupied the next farm. James Clark, the hatter, lived and died on the next farm. He had a large family. Jane, one of the daughters, is the wife of David Thomas, of Great Bend. Mr. Low purchased the property now owned by his son.
Deacon Daniel Lyon, a cabinet maker and farmer, owned the next farm. He built the Baptist Church at Hallstead alone. His large family all moved elsewhere. Truman Youngs subsequently owned the property. The Minna Du Bois estate was next. Mr. Du Bois was a large holder of real estate within the present limits of Hallstead Borough. Asahel Avery owned a property afterwards owned by Col. Jeremiah Baker, who had a store in part of the house where Rev. James McCreary resides. This property was afterwards owned by the Dayton brothers. Following down the river were Simeon Wylie, Thomas Bates, ____ Hall, Asa Adams and John L. Travis, who resided up by the State line. Samuel Blair resided across the Susquehanna from Travis, next to the State line. Joseph Thomas bought this property in 1814 and died in 1831, leaving a family of eleven children. David Thomas, one of the sons, bought out the heirs and resided there many years. Frederick Hen lived on the farm afterwards owned by John Gillespie. The Noble Trowbridge farm and hotel was next; it is now owned by Richard Gillespie. The next place was Sylvenus Hatch farm then followed the Judge William Thomson farm, which extended down to the bridge, and is within the borough of Great Bend. Lowery Green owned this farm when the railroad was built. Jonathan Dimon came to Great Bend in 1791 and purchased the next farm of Ozias Strong.
He had seen service in the Revolutionary army. His son, Charles Dimon, was justice of the peace for many years and postmaster at Great Bend. He had a controlling influence in the community, and being opposed to vice and immorality in every shape, his influence was exerted for the best interests of the place. He acquired sufficient legal knowledge to enable him to discharge the duties of his office with ability, and his decisions were respected. He died unmarried August 22 1864, aged seventy-nine years. James and Jonathan Newman lived on the next two farms beyond Dimon's toward Harmony. Jonathan was here as early as 1795, and bought land lying up the river, above the ferry, of Minna Du Bois. Isaac Reckhow lived next above Newman's. His sons, Vincent and Adelbert, are cabinet makers in Great Bend. Daniel Buck settled at Red Rock, so called because the figure of an Indian had been painted there on a rock, which could be plainly seen many years after the settlers came here. Almon Munson, who came in 1800, had a hotel on the next farm above, and William Taylor resided on the next farm. Dr. Skinner and his brother lived near the line. Jason Treadwell was raised up by the township line, where his father died. The family have all removed from the neighborhood. John Maynard was a pioneer blacksmith on the farm owned by W. D. Lusk. Isaac Snedaker lived up Trowbridge Creek near the state line. James Vance, Rufus and John Fish lived on Snake Creek. John I. Way lived below Noble Trowbridge. Jason Wilson was a tailor by trade and had the hotel by the bridge and the post office a number of years. Dr. Fobes, the first regular physician of the place, was here in 1791. About this time the settlers in Mt. Pleasant began to open a road from Mr. Stanton's house westward to Great Bend; it went about one half mile south of the Great Bend and Cochecton turnpike, which afterwards took its place.
Before November, 1792, the settlement must have largely increased, as a road which had been laid out on petition of Lewis Maffet and others--William Forsyth among the viewers--was opposed by a remon-
Willingborough assessment for 1813 contained the following names: Asa Adams, Asa Adams Jr., Clarissa Avery, William Abels, Daniel Buck, Samuel Blair, Ethan Buck, Ichabod Buck, William Buck, Joseph Bens, Ebenezer Brown, Silas Buck, Jeremiah Baker, Rachel Bates, David Buck, James Clark, Samuel Chalker, Emery Cary, David Crocker, Jonathan Dimon, Charles Dimon, Meany (Minna?) Du Bois, Abraham Du Bois, Rufus Fish, John Fish, Moses Foster, Dudley Holdridge, Sylvenus Hatch, Frederick Hen, Jonathan Hawks, William Johnson, Richard Lewis, Daniel Lyon, Nathaniel Lewis, Almon Munson, Ashbel Munson, Almon Munson Sr., Luther Mason, John Maynard, Jonathan Newman, James Newman, Abner Newel, Jonathan B. Newman, Anna Newman, James Parminter, Dexter Parminter, Moses Rowley, Andrew Richards, Josiah Stewart, Thomas Smith, Garet Snedaker, Eli Summers, Isaac Snidker, James Snidker, Jacob Seiner, Israel Seiner, William Thompson, Lyman Trowbridge, Noble Trowbridge, Abel Trowbridge, James Vance, Simeon Wyle, John I. Way, Edward White, ____Wilson.
SAMUEL LOOMIS was born in Broome County, NY, October 6 1840, the son of C. F. and Betsey (Lyons) Loomis. The Loomis family are of the old New England stock. Three brothers, Englishmen, emigrated about the middle of the seventeenth century, and settled at Agawam, Massachusetts. Thomas Loomis, one of the brothers, moved to Hartford County, Connecticut, where he died in 1689, leaving two sons and one daughter. On of his descendants, Gershom Loomis (1777-1851), was a native of that State, and in 1819, with his wife, Clarissa Stoughton (1783-1854), and children, he moved west and located in Broome County, NY, where he was a farmer, and for twelve or fifteen years was justice of the peace in Sanford township. He subsequently died in Illinois. His son, Confucius F. Loomis (1809-1885), was born in Connecticut also. He was a farmer and lumberman, and in 1855, coming to Susquehanna County, he established a steam sawmill on the Wiley Creek, at the point since known as Steam Hollow. Here he carried on quite an extensive business, and gained a high reputation as an honorable, energetic and moral man. He possessed great physical strength and was an athlete. His wife, Betsey Lyons, born 1815, is a sister of David Lyons of Lanesboro'. Their children were Harriet T. (1836-1858), was the wife of J. D. Fisk, of Lyndon , Illinois; Rebecca B., born 1838, married, first, Abraham Carpenter, and after his decease was united to Samuel Crouch, who was connected with the Erie Railroad over twenty years, and is now living, retired, at Chattanooga, Tennessee; Samuel P.; Julius F., born 1842, an extensive business man at Chattanooga; and John S. Loomis, born 1846, a prominent railroad official in Kentucky. The early days of their son, Samuel P. Loomis, were spent on the home farm, in Broome County, NY, and his book knowledge was obtained at the common schools and at the academy at Windsor, New York. During the six years his father operated the sawmill in Great Bend township he aided him in the work and acquired habits of industry and self reliance. The succeeding four years found him in the train service on the Delaware Lackawanna and Western and the Erie Railroads, and in 1864 he went South, and engaged in running an engine for the United States government between Nashville and Chattanooga, in which position he remained until the close of the war released him. Returning northward, he accepted employment as engineer on the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad, at Cincinnati, Ohio, and continued with that company until appointed master mechanic and train dispatcher upon the Cincinnati Richmond and Chicago Railroad. In this position he brought out several valuable mechanical improvements, which were adopted by the railroad and gave him a reputation of no mean extent. He continued in this employment for some years, then resigned and came back to the home of his parents. Here he soon took a leading place in the township affairs and served as school director for six years, assessor two years and constable and collector for a like term. He carries on lumbering in winters, agricultural implement business in spring and fall, and the ice business (which he originated in this locality) in summer and winter, besides running his farm, which is adjacent to the Hallstead
Next section (Part
Two)
for Great Bend Township extracted from the Stocker Centennial History of
Susquehanna County
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