|
|
|
|
Logo scanned from Cover of Joyce's poor old bedraggled Bradsby |
|
|
CHAPTER XXXIV-
HERRICK TOWNSHIP.
Page 464 - 464
THIS township was organized in December, 1837, and was named in honor of Judge Edward Herrick. In it are the little hamlets of Herrick, Ballibay, Birney and Herrickville.
Zopher Platt and his son, Nathaniel, settled in East Herrick about 1813. The next settler was Fredus Reed, who came with his wife, who was a daughter of Asa Mattson. He was a dish-turner by trade, and came to Herrick and put up his lathe in the year 1811.
Asa Mattson, with his family, canie in 1813. His wife was a tailoress, and cut and made garments for the people around. . . . A man named Townsend built the third house in the township, in 1816, east of Herrickville. The same year a blacksmith, named Haywood, settled near Townsend. Elihu Buttles, a Methodist preacher and dish-turner, came in 1818. He wrote back to his old home and induced Isaac Park to come. The latter was a tanner and learned his trade with the Bolleses, a numerous family in Herrick township.
The first clearing in the forest between Park's place and Camptown, was made on the Hiram Camp farm, by Mr. Park and Robert De Pue in 1821. James Hines came in 1818 and settled on the Widow Platt farm. Calvin Stone came in 1820 and settled on the W. W. Haywood farm. In 1825 Reuben Atwood settled in East Herrick. In 1822 Charles Squires settled on the farm now occupied by his son, Penbroke S. The same year Isaac Camp built a sawmill and house, whither he moved his family in 1825. Albert Camp settled near his father, and Lacy Camp made a small improvement where is now the Crawford farm.
Deacon Charles Stevens, Micajah Slocum, Ezekiel Mintz, Daniel Durran, Adam Overpeck came in 1824. Nathan D. Whitman came in 1828, and settled on the Ephraim Platt farm.
Ballibay Settlement was begun in 1826, and the early settlers were William Nesbit, Nathaniel Nesbit, Alexander Dougherty, James Lee, James Wood, William Hillis and Richard Hillis. They were all natives of Ballybay, Ireland.
The first white child born here is supposed to have been one of Charles Squires'. The first death, was that of Daniel Durran, and the first wedding was that of Mathew Wilding and Lydia AtCamp, in 1829. The first school was taught in the first schoolhouse, built in 1829 The Baptists had the first religious services, at the house of Mr. Durran.
Herrickville.-The first merchant here was L. H. Bronson, in 1847 The place has two stores, a planing mill, built in the "fifties," and a Union church building.
Hon. George Landon is among the early settlers of Herrick. Ile came, a Methodist preacher from Boston, where from much pulpit and rostrum talking his throat had given out, and he was compelled to flee from the city and go west, coming to Herrick for a short visit to a relative; this resulted in his purchasing the farm, where he has since lived.
This man started in life a poor boy, and by his own efforts forged his way through college and, until his voice failed him, was rapidly extending his fame as a lecturer and orator. He settled on his farm and labored afield, regained his health, and in the exciting times of war he was called upon often to address the people on the current topics of the day. He was twice elected to the State Senate, and for some years his reputation as a popular orator brought him to the front rank of the most eminent men of the Commonwealth. It is little or no disparagement to the living eminent men of the county when the writer asserts that he regards Mr. Landon as one of the strongest and brightest men, intellectually, he has met in this part of the State.
|
