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Tri-Counties Genealogy &
History by Joyce M. Tice
1885 Seven Counties History
- Bradford County PA
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Bradford County PA
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Chemung County NY
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Tioga County PA
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Photo by Joyce M. Tice April 1999 in Burlington
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“HISTORY OF SEVEN COUNTIES presented by the Elmira Weekly
Gazette". It is an “Outline History of Tioga and Bradford Counties in Pennsylvania,
Chemung, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins and Schuyler in New York by TOWNSHIPS,
VILLAGES, BORO’S AND CITIES.” Written expressly for the Gazette Company,
Elmira, N. Y. Copyright 1885.From AN OUTLINE HISTORY
of Tioga and Bradford
Counties in Pennsylvania, Chemung,
Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins and Schuyler in New York by TOWNSHIPS, VILLAGES,
BORO'S AND CITIES"
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BURLINGTON
TOWNSHIP
The township of Burlington was one of the original
townships in Bradford county, having been formed prior to the organization
of the county, in 1786. It is bounded on the north by Smithfield
and Ulster, on the east by North Towanda and Towanda, on the south by Franklin,
on the west by West Burlington. The township is well watered by Sugar
Creek and its tributaries. Its surface is rolling, and the soil well
adapted to grazing and agricultural products generally. There are
four post offices in the township Highland, Luther’s Mills, Burlington,
Mountain Lake. The great Indian path from the North Branch of the
Susquehanna to the west branch of the Susquehanna, passed through the township.
The early settlers were Isaac Dewitt, Abram Dewitt, James McKean, William
Dobbins, James Ward, Alexander Campbell, Derrick Miller, Ebenezer Dunbar,
Ephraim Swain, Ira Nichols, Jared Soper, Ezra Brafit, Ephraim Jacque, Ezra
Goddard, Luther Goddard, Stephen Ballard, Joseph Ballard, John Ballard,
Nathaniel Ballard, John Clark, Moses Calkins, Jeremiah Taylor, Benjamin
Saxton, Jessie Marvin, Jehiel Ferris, John Gammage, George Head, James
Campbell, David Campbell, Eliphalet Luther, Col. Lockwood, Nehemiah Allen,
John McNean, Joel Calkins, David Miller, William Pratt, Otho a colored
man, Samuel McKean, Samuel Wallace, Timothy Hosmer, Major William Judd,
John Jenkins, John Clark, Champion Scoville, Ebenezer Kendall, Reuben Wilbur,
Jehiel Ferris, Jesse Beach, Timothy Beach, Doct. Ira Lee, Oliver Nelson,
Lawson Hemengway.
--Burlington borough was established in 1853.
--Burlington was formerly known as Juddsburg.
--Jehiel Ferris was the first shoemaker in
Burlington.
--The first highway in Burlington was made
in 1791.
--Burlington was named after Burlington, Vermont.
--The first school house in Burlington was erected
in 1791.
--Ezra Goddard was the first merchant in Burlington,
in 1796.
--The first orchard was set out by Ebenezer
Kendall, in 1799.
--A number of cases of small pox occurred
in 1807, in Burlington.
--Ezra Goddard built the first grist and saw
mill in Burlington, in 1798.
--The first settlers of Burlington were from
the town of Chemung, N. Y.
--The first Methodist preacher, who visited
Burlington, was Rev. Mr. Newman.
--The celebrated Lorenzo Dow, visited Burlington
in June, 1806, and preached.
--Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, was a heavy
land owner in Burlington township.
--The religious service was held in 1791,
by Mrs. James McKean and Mrs. William Dobbins.
--At the first election held in the township
of Burlington, there was a wedding, a barbecue, and a dance.
--Burlington Lodge, No. 904, I. O. O. F.,
was organized March 26, 1875, L. M. Rundell, N. G.; P. P. Burns,
V. G.; N. W. Lane, Sec; R. R. Phelps, Treas.
--Noah Wilson, Nathaniel Allen, James Campbell,
James McKean and Eli Case, were the first election board of Burlington.
The election was held at the house of Ezra Goddard.
--In 1822, in digging a cellar for Gen. Samuel
McKean, a stone vault was found, which contained a skeleton of a
human being, measuring eight feet two inches in length. A pine tree
was growing over the vault three feet in diameter.
--Tom Jack was a Moravian convert, of the
Mingo tribe of Indians, and was known as the white man’s friend,
lived at Burlington, on the Tom Jack Creek. His wife was Betty Montour.
His daughter, “White Fawn,” was educated by the Moravians, and became
a teacher.
--Dr. Ira Lee, an English physician, attempted
to introduce vaccination for small pox in 1813, in Burlington,
and was compelled to leave the town. The war between United States
and Great Britian was then going on, and the inhabitants conceived that
Dr. Lee was a secret emissary, Employed by the British
Government to destroy the American people.
--Captain Daniel Dobbins, son of one of the
old settlers of Burlington was in command of a merchant vessel, owned by
himself and Mr. Rufus H. Reed of Erie Pa.; when the war of 1812 occurred.
He was at Detroit and was taken prisoner, he was subsequently retaken by
Gen. Hull, and again surrendered into the hands of the British, being
released he was detailed by General Mead to go to Washington with
important dispatches concerning the surrender of Detroit. Upon
His arrival at Washington a cabinet meeting was called and he recommended
in view of the loss Of Detroit, that a naval depot should be established
at Presque Isle, in the present harbor of Erie, Pa. His suggestion
was received with favor, and he was immediately commissioned to enter
Upon the work of establishing such a depot. He returned to Erie and
commenced the Construction of gun boats, and in March following, Commodore
Perry arrived. Captain Dobbins Continued in active service until
he had the proud satisfaction of seeing the fleet which he had Equipped
and manned, commanded by Commodore Perry, victorious in the battle of Lake
Erie On the 10th of September, 1814. Thus did a Bradford county
citizen contribute towards Establishing Erie as a naval port, and the success
of Commodore Perry.
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