Journal of the Lycoming County Historical Society, January 1960
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2'0 T H E J O U R N A L NEW MEN[BERS OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY 1959-60 Mr. and Mrs. Guy M. Baldwin, Lnporte, P.]. Miss O[ive Moyer,347 AcademySt., Wi] Misses Margaret and Carol Barker, 1205 liamsport, Pa. Locust St., Williamsport, Pa. Mr. W. Clyde Mussina, 1022 W'. Fourth Mr. and Mrs. Frank Brunner. 319 So. Main St., Williamsporc, Pa St., Jersey Shore, Pa. Mr. Charles M. No11, I E. Central Ave., Mrs. David Busey,131 BennettSt., Wil- So. 'Williainsport, Pa. liamsport, Pa. Mrs. Helen Gann Snyder,7 Holt)lhurst Ave., Mr. and Mrs. Zehnder H. Confair, 1327 Coatesville28, Maryland Race St., Williamsport, Pa. Mr. Thomas P. Gerber. 172I Williams Road, Mrs. Wn). Spangle,1000 Woodmont Ave., Williamsport, Pa. Williamsport, Pa. Dr. and Mrs. R. M. Gingrich, 500 Highland Mr. Charles Spuler, 1212 Cherry St., Wil- Terrace, Williamsport, Pa. liamsport, Pa blr. and Mrs.Walter J. Heim, 112 So.Broad Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Thomas,1515 Ryan St., Montoursville, Pa. Ave., Williamsport, Pa. Miss Aileen B. Hendly, 416 Pine St. Wil Mr. George Walkers, 1601 Warren Ave., liamsport, Pa. Williamsport, Pa Mr. Richard W. Krinam, 820 Vallainont Mr. Guy Wheeland, 1206 Shiffler Ave., Drive, Williamsport, Pa. Williamsport, Pa. Mr. and Mrs. Von E. Mertz, 1947 Foy St., Mr. and Mrs. Willard L. Snyder, t026 Williamsport, Pa. Rural Ave., Williamsport, Pa. Miss JessieMiddaugh, 94 Union Ave., Wil- Mr. and Mrs. D. S. Donachy,700 Rural liamsport, Pa. Ave., Williainsport, Pa. Mr. and Mrs. James M. Morin, Cog:tn Dr. and Mrs. John C. Winter, 505 Hawth- Station, Pa. orne Ave., Williamsport, Pa. THE FROM THE WILLIAMSPORT SATURDAY EVENING REVIEW November11, 1893 b/JOURNAL SECRET SOCIETIES OF THE PerseveranceConclave No. 1 14, improved man,O. S. Kelsey,C. A. Byers,F. J Order of Heptasophs, which meets regu- Burrows, Samuel Wilson, F. E. Gleam larly in the Mussina block on Market Street J. G. M. Long, J. H. Boyer:,William Vickers, is in a highlyflourishing condition. The T. L. Jarrett,William F. Mitterer,J. C. LYCOMING HISTORICALSOCIETY order is protective and beneficial,safe and Kuntz, J. J. Galbraith, William M. I)uFour sound in every respect. Mr. Herman Hinck- M. D., William Slack, John P. Hilscher: ley is rhe Archon, and Mr. Cyrus Heller George F. Jackson, William H. Kilbourne is secretary.The following are the namesof Chai:lesF. Fullmer. Peter S. Dentworth some of the gentleJnen composing the order Louis G. Baker, M. D., W. H. C. Huffman in this city: G. W. Renninger, Jacob B. Russel J. Hutchinson, Charles Harman Shultz, James B. Denworth, W. S. Ster- Austir] A. Heller. William Neuschafer ner, DanielLongsdorf, J. P. Blush, J. N George E. Renta, Mart H. Wirth, John W. VOLUMEI JANUARY Kline. 1). R. Forcsr)lan.Paul Mcbride, Frank Villinger, William Ed Page,Albert A. Dit( Fullnlcr, W. B. Foresinan, Abner P. bores mar, James Thomas, Henry H. Vlilinger. NUMBER TEN 1960 the J OURNAL of the 3 LYCOMING HISTORICAL SO CIE TY THE WILLIAMSON ROAD PUBLISHED BIANNUALLY IN WILLIANISPOl\T PENNSYLVANIA by CharlesG. Webb ]v[ISS \IAI\GAI\ET E. I]OItN, SECT\ETAI\Y \v. CL\,DE HAI{ER, PI\EVIDENT To the local historians of Tioga and rhe Genesee lands. In 1788 the sale was NIISS BLANCIIE M. NEFF, TI{EASUI\El\ JOSEPH G. 'kVINTON, IST. VICE PItESn)ENT Lycoming Counties the Williamson Road consummated ar)d Phelps and Gorhman pur- CTIAI\LES S. STOEVER, 2ND. VICE PI\ESII)ENT N'laSSZELLA G. PXPI,EttXIAN,AsST. Tl\Ef\SUl\El\ is an old story. It has been told many times chased all of New York State west of the \'IICnAEL M. WAI\GO, 3l\D. VICE PI{ESIDEN'r in county and regional histories and in Seneca Lake f or the sum of $100,000 proceedingsof local historical societies.But Massachusettsmoney. It was an empire of Dll\ECTOl\S 1958-1960 DIRECTORS 1959-1$)61 about 6,000,000 acres. 3 l like all goodstories it is alwaysworth the NIOI\RIS ]-I. IIOUSEL \[I\S. S\,LVIA ]3. 1]AYS retelling. It is to be observed though that It was then necessaryto clear the Indian \4/ni,LiAXt l\. Sixth \II\S. nOBEl\'r COCnItANE {llost of the accounts of it deal with the title. Mr. Phelps travelled [o Buffalo Creek blISSXIn,DI\ED E. KEI.I,Y NIISS \'tAI{GAI\ET B. COI\I'ELL personalities involved and the settlement ind after prolongednegotiations the Indians of the Genesee Country. Very little has finally ceded their title to Phelps and Gor- 1)1\.DAVID L. McXloi\i\is ever been told of its actual construction hanato all that areabounded on the west and no one has ever described in detail its EX OFFICIO by the GeneseeRiver; on the north by courses.In retellingthe story,I will en- Lake Ontario; on the south by the Pennsyl- GIBSON (;. ANTES deavor to partly fill in some of these gaps vania-NewYork line, and on the east by In the late 1780's, all of New York Scare Seneca Lake. This area amounted to EDITOllS west of the Seneca Lake was a tractless 2,600,000 acres. The Indians refused to cede \II{. XIICI{AEL M. WAI{GO Dl\. LEtVis E. Tlixiss wilderness.There were a few buildings at the land west of the Genesee.4 After these N'tI{. L. ROBB,IAN 'WUI\STEIN XI{SS\IILOI\ED E. KEI,LY Kanadesaga(modern Geneva). Jermina negotiations Phelps and Gorham found they Wilkinson and a small colony of "Friends were unableto pay Massachusettsthe entire had located on the west bank of the Seneca ExLnl Copies of 'l'he Journal Fifty Cents Each purchaseprice for all westernNew York Lake. There were two or three Indittn and compromisedby paying f or that part traderson the GeneseeRivera and a few ceded by the Indians. The land west of the squattersupon the Geneseeflats; a feu Geneseewas later sold to Robert Morris fanailiesin or near the present city of and comprisedthe lands later ownedby Buffalo. All else was Seneca occupancy.i the famous Holland Land Company Af ter the Revolution both Massachusetts In 1788 after Phelps had concluded his and New York claimed Western Neu York purchase from the Indians, he selected the becauseof the conflicting provisionsof their foot of CanandaiguaLake as a central lo- colonial charters. In 1786 these two states cality and createda scorehouse there. A at a convention in Hartford compromised town almost immediately sprang up there C O N T E N TS their differences. By the terms of their which was called Canandaigua. Other set- agreement New York retained the sover- tlers came into this region and Phelps and The Williamson Road by Charles G. Webb 3 eignity and Massachusetts the ownership Gorhmarl sold off pairs of it.S of the land. In other words, New York took Robert Morris had becomegreatly inter- 15 rhc right to govern and Massachusettsthe estedin this land and finally on November An UnhonoredHero -- by Clark B. Kahler right to se]] the land.Z 19, 1790 entered into a contract to purchase Oliver Phelps, a native of Windsor, Con- from Phelps and Gorham the entire tract, 17 Lycoming County Post Offices necticut, had been an ardent patriot during Jesswhat they had sold amountingto the Revolution and had had numerous 1,100,000 acres f or 30,000 pounds in New Sullivan County Post Offices 18 contacts with Robert Morris. Through York currency.6 Morris he met in Philadelphia Adam Hoops The contract had hardly been signed when Letter re Little Family -- by SusanH. Little 18 uho had been aide to General Sullivan in Robert Morris sent William Temple Frank- his invasion of the Geneseecountry. It lin, Benjamin Franklin's grandson, post New Members 20 was during the interview with Hoops that haste to England to peddle this newly pur- lle becamefavorably impressed with the chased land richness and fertility of the region. Close relations with England were funda- Soon after Massachusettshad settled its mental to the plans of Alexander Hamilton, differences with New York, Phelps to- who was then Secretary of the Treasury. In gether with Nathaniel Gorham and others Order to knit the old business ties, it seemed tl)proacllcd the Massacllusctrs Legislature [o linn necessaryto cnlisrrhc aid of British with the view of purchasinga portion of Investors in American aff airs. He wished 4 T H E J O U R N A L 5 [o make Americans independent of British the rank of Captain.He had resignedhis Creek andlto extend up to the 109th mile- vagrants". There were not more than 3 or 4 manufacturersand at the sametime he commission and sailed for America in 1781, stoneon the New York boundary.He was farmers among them. io About 300 of them hoped to draw foreign capital to the United angled with letters of recommendation to unsuccessful in Chat the legislature only sailed in two ships in the spring of 1792. States by the sale of laid and securities.7 Lord Cornwallis.The ship he was on was appropriated a hundred poundsiZ a mere These ships heading for New York be RobertMorris was a willing ally in this captured and he arrived in Boston a prisoner pittance. came separatedand Berczy with one policy. of war. He lived comfortably in Roxbury, In the late spring, Captain Williamson Massachusetts until the end of the war and contingent of 132 landed in Philadelphia on Young Franklin was well equipped to moved his family to Northumberland on August 3, 1792. He likewise immediately while here he met and wed Abigal Newell. approach Anglo-American capitalists in After the war u-asover he returnedto his rhc edgeof the wilderrless.This wasto be presented himself to Robert Morris.