Tri-Counties Genealogy & History by Joyce M. Tice Tri-County Communities Bradford County PA Chemung County NY Tioga County PA Canton. Bradford County PA  1898

Article - Canton 1898 - Eye Witness Account Year: 1898  Article by Marguerite Amendt and submited by Marguerite Carroll  Postcard from Betty LaMont Collection Tri-County Genealogy & History Sites Home Page How to Use This Site Warning & Disclaimer Canton Page No Unauthorized Commercial Use Say Hello to Joyce

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Subj:  A description of 1898 Canton
Date:  08/27/2003 10:26:22 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From:    mcarro1@columbus.rr.com (Marguerite Carroll)
To:    JoyceTice@aol.com

Hi Joyce.  My grandfather, Thomas B. Miles lived in Canton from about 1875 to 1900.  He married, had three children and then lost his wife
(Not my grandmother)  In 1900 he married my grandmother and they moved to Ohio where I live now. My Grandmother wrote several things during
her life and one I found and have transcribed for possible use in your website.  It follows.    [ In 1898, my grandmother, Marguerite Amendt, who two years later married Thomas Blackwell Miles, wrote this account of a trip by horse and buggy in Bradford County Pennsylvania.  Transcription done by Marguerite Carroll ]

    Through the kindness of Miss Adelaide Randall, teacher of the infant class in the Presbyterian Sunday School, I had a rare treat, viz: an afternoon on the mountains, on the Fourth of July, 1898.

    We drove out of Canton in a Northwesterly direction by what is known as the Upper Mountain Road and climbed Armenia Mountain, up, up, higher and higher, stopping many times to look around at the beautiful view that came in sight as we climbed higher and higher, as well as to allow our horses to breathe calmly a few minutes,  as the road is very steep some places, the view all the while becoming broader and more beautiful from each new point of observation.   South Mountain which rises to a grand height above the surrounding country, bounded our view in that direction; looking to the right and behind us, we could not see the beginning, but to the left, toward the East, it stretches away in an almost unbroken ridge and ends quite abruptly at a distance of twenty-six miles.  Smaller mountains that seem quite high when seen from Canton, do not seem to be mountains at all when seen from this point, with the more lofty South Mountain in the rear.

    Looking to the East and North, we saw a beautiful agricultural country, interspersed with many beautiful elevations, there are no unbroken ridges in this direction;  the fields of waving grain just ready for harvest, corn and other crops in various stages of development, patches of woodland,  fine  farm  property this (Granville Township) being settled by wealthy farmers, all combined to make a beautiful panorama of nature.

   Looking to the South-east we saw the hotel and beautiful summer cottages at Minnequa Springs, a famous Summer Resort, where many noted  people from Philadelphia, New York City, Buffalo and other cities spend a portion of each summer.  Looking directly South we saw Lake Nephawin
Hotel, another Summer Resort more beautiful than Minnequa; this is also surrounded by summer cottages.

    Looking far away to the North many mountain peaks could be seen, one Mt. Pisgah being the highest point in the State could be seen forty miles away.  Beneath us lay a number of Towns, Canton and Alba being four miles apart, but to us they seemed to be scarcely half a mile apart.  This is not to be wondered at however, when it is known that our view extended in three directions a distance of from thirty to fifty miles.

    On reaching the summit we drove into a dense mountain wood for a distance of two miles, being completely hemmed in by trees, there being only room for us to drive.  Here we gathered ferns, flowers, laurel, buttercups, daisies, lilies and other mountain beauties.  At length we drove out of the woods and to our great surprise and much greater pleasure,  the view that we thought we had left behind burst upon us once more and, from this point, much more beautiful than it appeared from any other point.  Looking behind us, far away to the South-west, we could see the noted Cedar Ledge and village of same name.  Far beyond this noted landmark, we looked thinking we might be able to see the beginning of South Mountain,  mentioned above, but we looked in vain for it was lost in the distance.  All in all, it is a view that should be seen to be appreciated.

    We now began to descend, and now it was down, down for many miles.  We drove into Alba, mentioned above, about 4:00 P.M.  Then we had a drive of three miles to Minnequa Springs, mentioned above, and had a drink of the famous water which is noted for its medicinal properties, being used by many persons continually, and being one of the principal attractions of the place as a Summer Resort, being sought by many persons for that alone.  After a stroll in the park, we resumed our journey, having still one mile to drive to Canton, which place we reached at about 6:00 P.M., having driven about twelve miles in all, but saw the country in three directions for from thirty to fifty miles.    It was a trip that will ever be remembered as a most pleasant one, and many times has that beautiful panorama of nature presented itself to my mind’s eye, and causes me to think verily the beautie of Art are not to be compared with the beauties of nature.

                        Marguerite F. Amendt
Canton, P.  July 16, 1898.
 

Published On Tri-Counties Site On 08/30/2003 By Joyce M. Tice Email: JoyceTice@aol.com You are the  visitor since the counter was installed on 30 AUG 2003