Tri-Counties Genealogy & History by Joyce M. Tice Diaries & Letters of Tri-Counties Bradford County PA Chemung County NY Tioga County PA Home Page Guide Disclaimer Copyright More Diaries & Letters Troy Township  Joyce New & Search 1883 Letter - Dana Dunbar to C. F. Heverly

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Letter written to C F Heverly dated Dec 17, 1883 East Troy

Sir as per agreement I give below a few notes:

Hopkins & Stevens had the first Store. O P Ballard bought them out when he come. The building a little house stood on the ground where the Ballard Block has always been. An Englishman by the name of Phillips had the first Tavern. Stood on the ground where Jewell & Pomeroy Cloth Store now is. Joseph Wills, English had a Saw Mill where the Tannery now is. In the Grave Yard so called then was a Block Meeting House called the Calvinerler Baptist. Elder Elisha Rich from Vermont Preacher he was the first grown person buried in the Old Cemetery. What was then called the Corners to the Saw Mill was heavily timbered principally Hemlock but it was all a wilderness. Principal food was Venison & Broth, Bean Porridge, Trout Minuit Pudding, maid of Ryle Flour with Maple Sugar. The young folks used to call it (Slip go down & joy go with it). The store I spoke of in the Wilderness now the Borough of Troy did not keep much of a supply. The people what few they were had to go to Tioga Point to do their trading principally. Clement Payne had a store then the nearest Grist Mill was at Monroeton on Towanda Rd. When they built the First Grist Mill where Longs Mills now stood, my mother and her Sister then little girls pounded the corn in a Stump mortar to make the Bread for the hands. The first Grist Mill in the Boro was built by Aaron Case on the ground where Payne’s Foundry now is, the year about 1813. Shoes were so rare; that both men & women carried them until near the Meeting House then put them on when they got out of sight. After a meeting take them off and go back bare foot home and some had miles to go. My father Zina Dunbar & two other family lived in a Log House on the bank of the Creek at the terminus of Redington Row. Reuben Smead & Tray Cook all with large family. Elihu Smead had a little house on the ground where the Presbyterian Church now stands then opposite Paynes Foundry a double Log House occupied Adenial Hibbard with Old daddy Wills at the Saw Mill as he was called made four houses all there was in the Boro, now Troy then a Wilderness. This is before and up to 1810. Men wore Deer Skin Cloths tanned by themselves. Women wore Hair and Taw Petticoat with Frock made by cording the cattle when they shed their coat & mixed with tow which made cloth. Some made moccasin of Deer Skin. The poor though none were wealthy, had to go the Armenia Mountain for Leaks to use in place of Onions (Peter Buttons Family at Sylvania lived several weeks on Pine Bark & Salt) , not in the City of four houses. If this is satisfactory and you wish to hear from me again let me know and Oblige.

Dana Dunbar.

(Dana Dunbar b Sept 21, 1810 d May 20, 1889 wife Cynthia b May 26,1815 d Jan 29, 1871. Both buried East Troy Cemetery. )
 

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Published On Tri-Counties Site On 07 Dec 2008 By Joyce M. Tice Email Joyce M. Tice