Bradford County PA

Chemung County NY

Tioga County PA

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Gore Biography

JUDGE OBADIAH GORE

From address of Major W.H.H. Gore, a Great-Grandson, at the Unveiling of Portrait of Judge Gore, June 23, 1910, at Rooms of the Bradford County Historical Society.

"Pride of ancestry is inherent in the human race from earliest ages, as is evidenced in the Jews, boasting from their descent from Abraham, and from our aborigines in their war dances, singing the deeds of their fathers, and the members of the D.A.R. are proud to claim their descent from Revolutionary sires. Hence, I may be excused if I say, I am proud to claim descent from him whose portrait you have just unveiled. Judge Gore comes of English ancestry, and is of the fourth generation from John Gore and wife, Rhoda, who settled in Roxbury, Mass., now a part of the city of Boston, in 1635. His father, Obadiah Gore, moved to Connecticut, where our subject was born in the town of Norwich in 1744. He resided there and at Plainfield until after his marraige to Anna Avery. His mothwer was Hannah Park, sister of Thomas Park, who settled in Litchfield. He had five children: Avery, who married Lucy, daughter of Silas Gore; Anna married John Shephard; Hannah married Elisha Durkee; Wealth Ann married John Spalding, and Sally married Isaac Cash. He moved to Wyoming with his father, brothers and sisters in 1768. Several of the family were blacksmiths. He and his brother, Daniel, were the first to use anthracite coal for Blacksmith purposes, and it was their success that brought about the success of burning it in a grate in the old Fell house. He took up a farm where the village of Kingston now is and had a town-house in Wilkes-Barre, near the site of the Wyoming Valley hotel. He, with others, built a mill on a creek now known as Mill Creek, above Wilkes-Barre. Having settled under the Connecticut grant, he became actively engaged in the Pennamite war. He, with his brother, Daniel, built the wooden cannon which held the enemy in check, but it would not stand the pressure and soon exploded; but I will not give a history of that war, as it is familiar to students of history. When the war with the mother country broke out he raised a company of twenty men and joined a regiment under Colonel Nichols from Orange County, N.Y. After serving a few months he was commissioned lieutenant under John Hancock and served with the Continental Troops, which was the nucleus of the army, the same as the Regulars today. On Hancock's retirement from the presidency of Congress, he was re-commissioned by John Jenkins, Hancock's successor. He served in all about six years, and was engaged in numerous battles. He was not present at the battle of Wyoming, but arrived soon after to find three brothers and two brothers-in-law slain. He assisted in getting his family back to Connecticut, where they remained for a time then all returned to Wyoming. After the close of the war the Pennamite trouble again broke out, and he disposed of his possessions in Wyoming, moved his family to Sheshequin Valley, and purchased lands from Isaac Stille and Nicholas Totemy, half bloods, to whom it had been granted by the government for services during the war. In 1785 he built a frame barn, the first frame building erected in the county; the next year he built the house now occupied by Mrs. Rynders. He erected a still, which was considered a necessity in those days. He opened a general merchandise store and kept a house of entertainment, or tavern. The early settlers of Watertown, now Rome and Smithfield, would leave their families there while they went to their farms and built a log house, then return and move them to their new home. He was appointed associate judge of Luzerne county and served two terms in the state legislature. He was ever ready to assist his neighbors financially, and many of the early settlers are indebted to him for his kindness in aiding them until they could get their clearings made and crops raised. The farmers had to go a long way to mill, and he built a water mill opposite where the Valley House now stands. He entered into partnership with William Presher, and the contract reads that "he can have the use of all the land necessary, together with a road leading to the main road, and that the said Obadiah Gore will be to one-half the expense of said mill, excepting whiskey." He has numerous descendants in this and other states, who are proud to claim him as their ancestor. He died March 22, 1821, and his wife, Anna Avery, April 24, 1829. Both are buried in the Gore cemetery, on the farm settled by him, and a monument has been erected over his grave by his grandchildren.

This was printed in the Bradford County Historical Society ANNUAL, No.4, 1910

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Bradford County PA Chemung County NY Tioga County PA

Published On Tri-Counties Site On 20 SEP 1998 By Joyce M. Tice Email: Joyce M. Tice You are the  visitor since the counter was installed on 20 SEP 1998