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History of Tioga County, PennsylvaniaIf You Have Photos of People Mentioned on the Page, Send Them In For Inclusion Return to 1883 Table of Contents |
Source: History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations, Portraits, & Sketches of Prominent Families and Individuals (1883), (New York: W. W. Munsell & Co., Press of George MacNamara), pp. 334-337.
RUTLAND TOWNSHIP AND ROSEVILLE.
By John L. Sexton jr. Retyped for SRGP - JMT by Wilma JOHNS Sakowsky
THE township of Rutland was organized from the townships of Sullivan and Jackson, in February 1828. It is bounded on the north by the township of Jackson, on the east by Bradford county, on the south by Sullivan and Richmond, and on the west by Tioga. Its principal stream is Mill Creek, which flows westerly and empties into the Tioga River at Mill Creek station on the Tioga and Elmira State Line Railroad. Elk Run, a considerable creek, flows across its southwestern boundary.
We have alluded to the character of the settlers in the history of Sullivan, and will only say that after the formation of the township of Sullivan, in 1817, the inhabitants of the present township of Rutland began to agitate the formation of a township, whose center should be where the present borough of Roseville is located. It is not necessary to reproduce here the arguments that were advanced pro and con in the controversy. Suffice it to say that even among the early settlers of Sullivan and Rutland the spirit of envy and strife was not unknown. To call it by its mildest term, the spirit of rivalry was extant, and resulted in the formation of the township of Rutland. The heat of that early conflict has died out, but the recollection of it was for many years kept alive.
The first election in the township was held in May 1829, as certified to the clerk of the court at Wellsboro, and with the following vote: Constables–William W. Howland, 44 votes; Ezra Wood, 23. Supervisors–Sylvester Benson, 40; Ebenezer Bacon, 35. Auditors–Bethuel Bentley, 45; Seth Ward, 36; Hozael Howland, 49; David Crippen, 41. Overseers of the poor–John D. Dann, 66; Lemuel Clark, 19. The record was attested by Levi Osgood, clerk, and David Crippen and Abram Updike, judges.
The vote in 1882 was published as follows: Supervisors–W. W. Hall, 164; John Racklyeft, 131; J. B. Wright, 73. Constable–W. B. Reynolds, 92; D. D. Prutsman, 125. School directors–James Holton, 196; B. Hullard, 107; S. W. Sherman, 79; W. A. McClure, 78; Wilby Lawrence, 51. Assessor–Jeff. Prutsman, 214. Assistant assessors–John Van Ness, 215; Charles Haywood, 217. Treasurer–Frank Argetsinger, 128; S. Wood, 98. Town clerk–Henry Smith, 101. Judge of election–L. Frost, 112; M. Cook, 96. Inspectors of election–H. A. Sherman, 56; Rufus Longwell, 68; Eugene Brace, 64. Auditors–H. D. Wood, 214; G. Tanner, 123; G. R. Crippen, 82.
Rutland township and Roseville now have twelve schools, with 168 male and 154 female scholars, aggregating 322. The first school-house in the township was on the Mill Creek road, and one of the early teachers was Harris Soper.
According to the report of the secretary of internal affairs for the year 1880 the valuation of taxable property in the township and borough was $245.080. This is another of the low estimates. The real amount will approximate $700,000. The number of taxables in the township in 1881 was 353, and in Roseville borough 75, making a total of 428.
There are five churches in the township and borough, and one very flourishing Odd Fellows' lodge, No. 468, which was established over thirty years ago, and has been the parent of lodges at Seeley Creek, Austinville, Aspinwall, Mainesburg, etc. The lodge owns the building where it meets, the lower portion of which is used for a town hall, election purposes, etc. Myron Rose is the present noble grand.
Like the inhabitants of Sullivan the citizens of the township are in a prosperous and independent condition. The farms are under a good state of cultivation, with good dwellings and convenient barns and sheds, and the farmers are well provided with all the latest and most improved implements of husbandry. Corn, wheat, oats, barley and buckwheat are cultivated with success; tobacco also has been raised, paying well for the labor connected therewith. The orchards are thrifty and well cared for, and the herds of neat cattle and sheep to be seen in the fields show that this is one of the finest dairy and agricultural townships of the county.
The Taxable Inhabitants in 1829
were as follows Hiram Beebe, Lorentus Jackson and Aaron Alba countv commmssioners, William Howland assessor, Ezra Wood and William Rose assistant assessors, the appeal to be held at the house of William Rose in March 1829; Lewis H. Weldon collector):
Stewart Austin, John Argetsinger, Isaac Benson, Ephraim Bryant, Bethuel Bentley, Ebenezer Bacon, Daniel Bunker, Halsey Burton, Hiram Benson, Green Bentley (wild land), Jacob Benson, Caleb Burrell, Silas Burrell, Sylvester Benson, Hiram Beales, Constant Bailey, Peter Burrell, John Benson, Joseph Beman, Johnson Brewer, John Britton, Peter Backer, Abraham Brown, W. D. Bacon, Sylvenus Benson, William M. Corey, Jabez M. Corey, Asa Crippen, David Crippen, Sidney Clark, Cornelius Clark, Seeley Cook, Hiram Cooley, Edwin Currie, Joseph Clark, Samuel Clark. Lemuel Clark, Harris Corey, John Crippen, Enos Cartis, Samuel H. Coats, Isaac Clymer, John Drake, James Dann, James Dann jr., John B. Daun, Joseph Fletcher, Judah Gifford, Nathan Gifford, Nathan Goodwin, Gardner Gould, Jonathan Gray, Eli Gray, Justus Garretson, —— Goff, Calvin Hathaway, Hozeal Howland, William W. Howland, John R. Howland, James Husted, Nathaniel Howland, Henry Hull (a millwright), Seth E. Howland, Baldwin Haywell, Isaac Hagar, David Huntley, Calvin W. Handmer, Thomas Johnson, James Job, Daniel King, Benjamin Lawrence, Nathan Newberry, Sylvester Newberry, Lucinda Newberry, Elisha Nash, Levi Osgood, Richard Lamberton, David Prutsman, Erastus Rose, Virgil Rose, William Rose, Levi Rose, Samuel Reynolds, D. B. Reynolds, John Reynolds, Avery Smith, —— Steinmetz, Jesse Smith, Betsey Sherman, Jacob C. Stout, Harvey Smith, I. S. Smith, Isaac Smith, Cornelius Sharpe, Andrew Sharpe, Herman Saher, Jefferson Shearman, Robert Searles, John Selover, John Snyder, Silas Smith, B. Strong, John Slingerland, Tunis Slingerland, Albert Slingerland, William Turner, William Updike, John Updike, Henry Updike, Abram Updike, William Wolf, Jonathan Wood. Solomon Wood, Ira Weldon, Daniel Wattles, Seth Ward, William M. Ward, Justus Wood, Lewis H. Weldon, Ezra Wood, Solomon Wood 2nd, James Rosell.
Of the foregoing a few were non-residents who had purchased lands within the township. The others were bona fide settlers.
Stewart Austin resided on the John Argetsinger place. near the Van Ness school-house; John Argetsinger lived a mile southeast of Roseville; Isaac Benson at the mouth of Painter Run; Bethuel Bentley on Mill Creek; Ebenezer Bacon on the farm now owned by George T. Longwell; Halsey Burton two miles southeast of Roseville, at a place known as Burton's Corners; Jacob Benson on Pumpkin Hill; Caleb Burrell where Thomas Horton now resides, and Silas Burrell at the same place; Sylvester Benson near Oldroyd's; Constant Bailey on the Samuel Longwell farm; John Benson at the Block House: Johnson Brewer three miles northeast of Roseville; Peter Backer at Roseville; W. D. Bacon on the Longwell property; Sylvenus Benson up the creek from Roseville: William M. Corey and Jabez Corey half a mile from Roseville—both went west years ago; Asa Crippen lived with his father, David Crippin. two miles south of Roseville, on Briar Hill; Sidney, Cornelius, Samuel and Joseph Clark on the Burton place; Harris Corey on what is now the Oldroyd property, two miles east of Roseville; John Crippen south of Roseville; James Dann and James Dann jr. on Briar Hill; John B. Dann near Roseville; Judah Gifford near Roseville, on Briar Hill; Nathan Gifford where Morris Smith now resides; Nathan Goodwin on Mill Creek. at a place known as Patchogue; Gardner Gould on Pumpkin Hill, next to Jonathan and Eli Gray; Justus Garretson near Prutsman's; Hozeal, W. W. and John R. Howland near Roseville: James Husted on the Longwell or the Bacon farm; Nathan Howland, a son of Hozeal Howland, lived with his father; Seth E. Howland southeast of Roseville; Baldwin Hazwell on Mill Creek, four miles below Roseville; Isaac Hagar afterward went to Sullivan and thence to Ward; David Huntley lived near the Sopers, on what is known as the Huntley property; Calvin W. Handmer on the farm where John Hall now lives; James Job at Job's Corners; Benjamin Lawrence at a place now known as Lawrence Corners; Nathan and Sylvester Newberry on Pumpkin Hill; Lucinda Newberry on the property now owned by Hugh Argetsinger; Elisha Nash near the McConnells; Levi Osgood owned the property where the widow Shepard now lives; Richard Pemberton built sawmills on Mill Creek about a mile below Roseville, at the place now known as Pemberton's Corners; David Prutsman lived four miles from Roseville; Erastus Rose in Roseville; Virgil Rose at Burton's Corners; William Rose was the first settler at Roseville, and gave the name to the hamlet, which has since been incorporated as a borough; Levi Rose lived at Roseville; Samuel, D. B. and John Reynolds on the property now owned by Van Ness and Bennet Reynolds; Jesse Smith in Smith Hollow—one of the very earliest settlers of Rutland; Isaac, Harry and I. S. Smith in Smith Hollow; Cornelius Sharpe on the John Hall property; Andrew Sharpe was the father of Cornelius Sharpe; Jefferson Sherman now lives in Roseville; Robert Searles lived on Pumpkin Hill; John Snyder where Patrick Longwell now lives; Silas Smith near Smith Hollow; John, Tunis and Albert Slingerland near the center of the township; William, John, Henry and Abram Updike north of Roseville on Pumpkin Hill; Jonathan and Solomon Wood on Pumpkin Hill, near the Updikes; (Correction from JMT - Solomon Wood and Caroline Drury settled on Pumpkin Hill, but Jonathan Wood and his extended family, including another Solomon, settled on the area where Rutland, Sullivan, and Columbia meet) Ira Weldon and Daniel Walters on Pumpkin Hill; James Rosell near Job's Corners.
The reader will bear in mind that over half a century has elapsed since the first assessment was made in the township of Rutland as Rutland, and that it has been an extremely difficult task after fifty-three years have gone by to ascertain the residences of the early taxpayers. After searching diligently the records at Wellsboro, and consulting with the sons and daughters of many of the old settlers, we have located them as above.
A large portion of the lands in Rutland township as well as in Sullivan township originally belonged to the Bingham estate and what are known as the Bishop White lands.
Military Record.
Like their neighbors in the township of Sullivan many of the old settlers were Revolutionary soldiers, or sons of patriots who had seen service to the French and Indian war besides the great struggle for independence, and exercised the same indomitable courage in subduing and reclaiming the wilderness that they did in repelling and scattering the red-coated Britons. It was but a few years before these hardy pioneers had made their homes pleasant and their farms productive; and every year has added to the store of wealth and intelligence of the good people of Rutland. The martial spirit has never died out, and when the tocsin of war was sounded in 1861 most gallantly did the descendants of a Revolutionary stock, from the Green Mountains of Vermont and the granite hills of New Hampshire, in their Tioga county homes in the highlands of Rutland respond to the call to arms. A large number enlisted in Bradford county companies and regiments, while Captain Elmer Backer commanded Company 207th regiment Pa. volunteers, which was recruited in Sullivan and Rutland. The members of this company were as follows.
Officers.—Elmer Backer, captain; Joseph M. Young, first lieutenant; Thomas O. Doud, second lieutenant; Eugene Rich, first sergeant; D. Houselander jr., corporal.
Privates.—A. Andrews, Damon Allen, James A. Ashcraft, Henry Avery, Jackson Alexander, Stephen Andrews, Philander Ayres, John B. Austin, Benjamin Booth, Alonzo B. Baker, Peter Benjamin, A. J. Blakesly, William Bailey, Royal E. Baker, Franklin H. Brink, John C. Baker, James Benjamin, William Beardsley, Lewis Barrett, Henry C. Burgess, Ebenezer Bronson, Charles H. Card, Norman D. Cranmer, William Coleman, Henry B. Clink, George Collins, Simon B. Chesby, Watson Cary, James S. Carr, George W. Conly, Orrin E. Campbell, Mahlon S. Cleveland, John Cunningham, David Conable, David Doty, George D. Edgerton, Henry Evans, Orrin P. Farr, Jason T. Fassett, George C. Fellbush, John A. Gustin, William Gordon, James Gordon, John Gordon, Samuel Gott, Benjamin S. Godshalk, Amos B. Howland, John Haines, Wallace Huntley, Jason Harris, Henry M. Hall, Orville C. Horton, C. B. Hulslander, Charles L. Hiney, Nathaniel Hurst, Ira Knapp, Charles W. Kelley, George W. Knapp, Dennis G. Keeny, Jacob Kelse, Abner Knapp, Joseph A. Lott, John W. Lott, Charles H. Morgan, John J. Miller, Joseph D. Minturn, John Mansfield, Lyman McClure, Jonathan Nelson, James W. Northrup, James H. Owens, Asa Osgood, Charles Peterbaugh, Smith Palmer, David H. Phillips, Oscar H. Rounsville, Hiram M. Robylear, Wesley B. Reynolds, A. C. Sturdevant, Benjamin Sherman, John Sutton, Charles E. Stage, Charles L. Shepard, Nehemiah H. Smith, Zenas B. Smith, Morris G. Smith, William H. Smith, John F. Smith, Daniel Swartwood, David W. Stone, Horace Thorp, Allen J. Tickner, George Van Ness, Alfred Wooster, Eugene Weed, Isaac Woodburn, William Worden, Warren Wood, Isaac J. Young, Reuben Yale.
ROSEVILLE BOROUGH.
Roseville borough was organized February 3d 1876. Its first officers were: Sanford Johns, burgess; council, G. W. Sherman, Myron Mills, L. C. Benson, C. I.. Strait, John M. Barden, Daniel Watson; justices of the peace, Daniel Watson, John D. Longwell; constable, Josephus Stout; street commissioner, D. W. Hibbard; treasurer, Myron Mills; assessor, Warren Rose; assistant assessors, D. W. Hibbard, Lyman C. Benson; judge of electon, G. W. Soper; inspectors, D. W. Stout, H. M. Reynolds; auditors, C. L. Strait, Amos Mansfield, H. H. Soper.
The following is a newspaper report of the vote for borough officers in 1882: Burgess–Alanson Rose, 46. Councilmen–J. H. Robb, 33; H. H. Van Nocken, 32; James Argetsinger, 29; Daniel Watson, 26; William Darling, 24; John Stout, 24; E. Billings, 18; C. W. Keller, 13; C. B. Hanyen, 12. School directors–James Argetsinger, 40; H. H. Soper, 29; E. Billings, 18; C. B. Hanyen, 12. Constable–Oliver Burlew, 31; Warren Rose, 26. High constable–Ben Benson, 41. Assessor–Ed Sweet, 44; J. Stout, 11. Assistant assessors–J. D. Vedder, 34; T. S. Gillett, 41; C. B. Hanyen, 11; O. F. James, 7. Judge of election–L. D. Vedder, 31; D. W. Stout, 25. Inspectors of election–S. F. Wilson, 25; Henry Oldroyd, 21. Auditor–T. S. Gillett, 35; A. Mansfield, 32; A. Wood, 15. Treasurer–Hugh Argetsinger, 47. Poundmaster–Alex. Perry, 21; Samuel Gott, 12; C. B. Hanyen, 9.
Roseville is situated nearly in the center of the township, on Mill Creek, a tributary of the Tioga River, and contains two hotels, two churches (Methodist Episcopal and Baptist), two stores, two blacksmith shops, a carriage shop, a graded school building, a steam and water power grist-mill and saw-mill and about fifty dwellings.
The first settler at Roseville was William Rose, (Correction from JMT - The first settlers were William Rose and his wife, Didamia Corey) who located at the point where at present stands the store of C. B. Hanyen. Mr. Rose was a native of Rutland county, Vt., and settled in Rutland in 1806. His children were: Erastus, Levi, Elmer, William jr., Orinda (deceased, wife of Josephus Clark), Lovisa deceased, wife of Peter Backer) and Celestia (wife of Dr. Abel Humphrey, of Tioga). When Mr. Rose settled in Roseville the townships of Rutland, Jackson and Sullivan, and the country east to Troy and Elmira were almost an unbroken wilderness. His eldest son, Erastus, was born in Bennington, Vt., December 22nd 1802, and accompanied his parents to this township. He subsequently became a prominent citizen of Roseville, and among other official positions he held that of justice of the peace twenty years. He died November 3d 1875. He had continuously resided in Rutland or Roseville sixty-nine years. He had literally grown up with the country, and witnessed its transformation from a wilderness to a land of plenty. Such has been the history of many of the citizens of Roseville and Rutland. No other generation of men and women in this section of the country will see such a chance as has been wrought since the commencement of the 19th century.