Middle Smithfield Township
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MONROE COUNTY. 1105 Big Bushkill rises in the vicinity of High CHAPTER IX. Knob, in Pike County, flows southeasterly of Greene township, in Pike MIDDLE SMITHFIELD TOWNSHIP. through a portion County, into Barrett township, where it forms a General Description.—This township is junction with the east branch of the Bushkill, bounded on the north by Price township and and continues its course southeast through Bar- Pike County, east by Pike County and the Del- rett, Price and Porter townships (the latter in aware River, south and southwest by the Dela- Pike County) into Middle Smithfield. It con- ware and Smithfield township, and west by tinues a southeasterly course through this town- Price township. It is separated by the above ship, and pours its waters into the Delaware at river from the State of New Jersey. The sur- Bushkill. face of the township is generally hilly and brok- Marshall Creek, named after the noted pe- en. The soil in its southern portion is a rich destrian of the Indian Walk, Edward Mar- loam, with comparatively little stone and very shall, rises in the northwest part of the town- productive. Just north, in the vicinity of the ship, flows southerly, and running through Coolbaugh settlement, is a limestone ridge, and Smithfield, empties into Brodhead Creek. in its neighboring locality a slate deposit, though Pond Creek, which is an outlet of Coolbaugh not suiSciently rich to be worked. A strata of Pond, flows westerly in a parallel line with the red shale, extending from Pike County, also stage road and forms a junction with Marshall crops out in this vicinity. The soil in the north- Creek, at Marshall Creek Post-Office. Willow ern portion is stony, and not adapted to cultiva- Creek rises north of Echo Lake and, flowing tion. It is a fine timber-land, and has thus been easterly, joins the Big Bushkill at Shoemaker made available to settlers. Beech, chestnut, Post-Office. Long Shore Creek rises in the east- maple and oak, with some hemlock and pine, ern part of the township and flows southwest grow here, the most luxuriant growth being into Pond Creek, on land of Adam Overfield. that of the oak, which has been much in de- Shawnee Creek rises on the northerly side of mand for tanning purposes. In early years the Flat Brook Ridge and, flowing south to the vil- timber was cut and rafted down the Delaware, lage of Shawnee, empties into the Delaware. but modern railroad enterprise, has superseded Seeley Lake, more recently christened Echo this primitive method of transportation. There Lake, is located within two miles of the eastern was formerly considerable low-lands, which, by boundary of the township, and about one-fourth draining and reclaiming, has been made very of a mile north of the stage road. It covers an productive. The staple grains and grass grow area of twenty acres, is at the centre at least in abundance, as also the principal fruits found forty feet in depth, and is fed by imperceptible elsewhere in the State. springs along the eastern bottom. Its waters In 1844 more than ten thousand acres of un- are remarkably clear. seated lands were offered for sale by the treas- Coolbaugh Lake, originally Jayne Lake, urer of the county to pay arrears of taxes and lies about two hundred rods west of Echo Lake, cost of sale. The populous portion of the town- and is fed by springs along its banks. Both ship is chiefly confined to the southern section. these lakes abound in pickerel, perch and bass, Although extended in its area. Middle Smith- promoted by the enterprise of the Coolbaugh field contained, in 1830, a population of but one family, who brought them at some cost from thousand, which was increased in 1840 to eleven streams and lakes in New Jersey. hundred and forty-four. The real and personal Middle Smithfield and the adjoining region property in 1844 amounted to |163,159. Its was the scene of many depredations committed present population is thirteen hundred and thir- by the Indians, from 1755 to 1764, which are ty-nine. treated of in Chapter IV. of this work. WxVTBK-CoURSES. —The township abounds Early Settlemen't,s.—It is not possible to in streams, of greater or less importauce. The determine with certainty who was the first set- 110 : 1106 WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA. tier in Middle Smithfield, though among the ty, New York, and passing through the Mama- earliest were William and Isaac Jayne, two kating Valley, established itself in the perilous brothers, who made the township their residence and wild region of the Minisink. William after having taken up several large tracts. Wil- Coolbaugh had ten children, namely : Moses, liam Jayne had two sons, Daniel and Peter, and born in Monroe County, Pa., died and was buried one daughter, Mrs. George La Bar. The sons at Wysox, Bradford County, Pa., February 22, both settled in the township, Peter having mar- 1814, aged sixty-two years. Cornelius, who ried Mary Bush and had children,—Isaac, Ann, married Sarah Everett, of New Hope, Bucks Maria, Lorinda, Henry, Daniel, Milton, Susan County, Pa., and is buried at Smithfield. John, and Caroline. AD of these are either deceased born September 14, 1760, died September 25, or have removed from the township. Daniel 1842, aged eighty-two years. Married by Rev. Jayne had one son Julius and two daughters, Elias Van Benschoten, September 14, 1788, to one of whom, Mrs. Daniel Bush, resides at Susannah, daughter of John Van Campen. Marshall Creek. She was born at Shawnee, October 23, 1758, John Dewitt came from Esopus to the town- died January 31, 1829, aged seventy years. ship and purchased five hundred acres of un- Her father, John, was a son of Col. Abraham cleared land formerly owned by a man named Van Campen, of Pahaquarry, N. J., whose his- Humphrey. He was by trade a blacksmith, tory is given in the " History of Warren and and opened a shop on the land, burning his Sussex Counties, N. J." John Van Campen coal for the purpose near by. He had four married Sarah De Pui, and here was a mixture sons —John, Levi, Jacob and Cornelius—and of the Holland and Huguenot blood. They daughters Sarah and Elsie, the last-named son had three children besides Susannah, viz. having died in early manhood. Jacob remain- Abraham, born September 8, 1769, died No- ed in the township and settled on his patri- vember 28, 1806, aged thirty-seven years; mony, the property being now owned by his Mary, wife of George Bush ; and Blandina, wife grandson, Henry Dewitt. John Dewitt mar- of Henry Shoemaker, of Pahaquarry. William, ried Betsey Johnson, whose children were John, born at Smithfield, Bucks County, settled at Samuel, Jacob, Joshua, Maria, Elsie and Cath- Wysox, Pa., died in Yates County, N. Y., his erine. John settled on the homestead and mar- wife being Susannah Shoemaker. Peter settled ried Sarah Miller, whose two sons, Samuel and at Wysox, thence moved to Luzerne County, Henry, are resident farmers in Middle Smith- Pa., and died there. Hannah, who married field. a Mr. Tanner, had two children, Mark and Henry Shoemaker owned the property now Jane. Mark lived in Bucks County and died occupied by Frank H. Smith. He sold to about 1879. Jane died a short time before. George Michaels and removed to Warren Coun- Mr. Tanner died and Hannah married Silas ty, N. J. The Coolbaugh family were among Barton and had four children,—Britta, George the earliest settlers of the township. They were and Benjamin (twins), and William. Britta of German origin and the name is said to be died in Monmouth Co., N. J., in 1873. George identical with Coolbrook. The original an- lived in Charleston, South Carolina, and was cestor in the country was William Coolbaugh, killed on a steamboat. Benjamin lived in a sea-captain, who married Sarah Johnson, and Philadelphia and died 1874. Hannah died and first located in Hunterdon County, New Jer- was buried at New Britain, Bucks County, Pa., sey. Subsequently he removed to Monroe 1804. Benjamin, born at Smithfield, settled at County, Pa., following the tide of emigration Wysox, died and was buried there February 13, which worked its way through Bucks and 1815, aged forty-eight years, his wife being Northampton Counties to the valley of the Jerusha Runyan. Sarah married Aaron Mor- Minisink, where it was met by and merged ris and lived in Philadelphia ; had four chil- with the tide of settlement which had left the dren,—John, Eliza, Ann and Hiram. She died old pioneer location of Esopus, in Ulster Coun- in 1847, and was buried in Monument Cemetery, ;; MONEOB COUNTY. 1107 Philadelphia. Rachel married Christopher February 16, 1793, married, January 2, 1816, Cowell of Wysox, and lived and died there. Margaret (born December 5, 1796), daughter of And Nancy who married a Barton, of Mon- Andrew W. Dingman (who is still living, the mouth County, N. J. last of her generation), operated a grist-mill, John Coolbaugh was the grandfather of the engaged in farming and had one daughter, Su- subject of thi.s sketch. He performed active sannah Van Campen, who became the wife, service in the Revolutionary War, and was January 25, 1844, of Rev. Andrew TuUy, a present at the battle of Monmouth, New Jer- Presbyterian clergyman ; Sarah, married Wil- sey. After his marriage to Susannah Van liam Overfield, of Middle Smithfield, and left Campen he purchased a tract of land lying a large number of descendants ; Hannah, mar- priaoipally in what is now Middle Smithfield ried Solomon Westbrook, and had six children, township, Monroe County.