XVI.
BUCKINGHAM —
SOLEBURY.
ONLY a few years elapsed from the time that John Chapman
became the farthest settler north until his claims upon that
distinction were successfully disputed by the pioneers of
Buckingham. The southern parts of the county were not so thickly
populated as to necessitate the privations which this distance
implied. Its northern border as far north as Warrington and
Warwick gave few indications of the labor of the colonists; but
the "vale of Lahaska" was beautiful, fertile, and attractive
then as now, to such an extent as to warrant the adventurous and
enterprising in placing a wide stretch of uncultivated country
between themselves and civilization. Buckingham mountain and
Bowman’s hill are the most striking topographical features of
central Bucks county; to the north are Lahaska creek, the
historic Cuttelossa, Pannacussing, and numerous smaller streams
to which no local name attaches; to the south are Pidcock’s
creek and at the western end of the valley the broad Neshaminy;
each possesses a distinct individuality, but all harmoniously
blended, forming a landscape that rivals in pastoral beauty the
most famous in the state. It is not surprising that the Indians
lingered here years after they had left other localities; for at
the Aquetong spring is the reputed birthplace of the renowned
Teedyuscung, and here among the braves of his tribes he passed
the early years of his life, and, if early chroniclers may be
credited, a rare degree of mutual kindness and good feeling
existed between the untutored savage and his civilized
neighbors. "In 1690," says John Watson, "there were many
settlements of Indians, one on the low land near the river on
George Pownall’s tract, which remained for some time after he
settled there; one on James Streipur’s tract, near Conkey’s
hole; one on land since Samuel Harrold’s; one on Joseph Fell’s
tract; and one at the Great Spring, etc. Tradition reports that
they were kind neighbors, supplying the white people with meal,
and sometimes with beans and other vegetables, which they did in
perfect charity, bringing presents to their houses and refusing
pay. Their children were sociable and fond of play. A harmony
arose out of their mutual dependence. Native simplicity reigned
in its greatest extent. The difference between the families of
the white man and the Indian in many respects was not great—
when to live was the utmost hope, and to enjoy a bare
sufficiency the greatest luxury. A band of the Lenni Lenape,
probably the last in this county, removed from their wigwam on
Buckingham mountain in 1775. Their destination was the Wabash
river, where a portion of their tribe had previously become
residents."
A remarkable instance of Indian friendliness occurred in the
experience of the first settler of Buckingham, Amor Preston.
Samuel Preston thus gives the tradition of his family regarding
this: Amor Preston, his grandfather, was "a tailor by trade, and
made frocks, trousers, and moccasins out of deer skins, the
clothing then most generally in use. . . . They went to Wicacoe,
below Philadelphia, where, in a dry, windy time, their little
establishment was surrounded by fire in the woods, and they with
difficulty escaped with their lives— all their little property
being consumed. Some of their former Indian acquaintances
invited them to go over Laskeek (Buckingham mountain) to their
village, called Hollekonk. I know it well: it is a limestone
sink-hole that used to contain good water. here they were well
treated by the hospitable Indians, and here my uncle, Nathan
Preston, was born: the first white child in the bounds of
Buckingham township. The mother and infant were kindly nursed by
a young Indian woman named Sarah. Amongst the young Indians
Nathan learned to speak their language before he did English,
and she was fearful that her children, like herself, would not
obtain any learning; but the event proved otherwise." The names
of Paxson, Fell, Watson, Carver, Smith, Hughes, Ely, Bye, Kirk,
and others were well known among the early settlers, and are
equally familiar at the present day. In 1699 Thomas Bye
purchased from Edward Crews, Nathaniel Park, and others an
extensive tract secured by them in 1681. This was probably one
of the earliest surveys. Bye removed to his land in the year of
its purchase. About the same time William Cooper bought five
hundred acres of Christopher Atkinson, upon which he settled at
once (1699). Robert Smith, who arrived at Philadelphia an
orphan, his father having died on the voyage out, became the
owner of five hundred acres in Buckingham. Thomas Canby, a
native of Yorkshire, England, found his first acquaintance with
provincial life as the indentured apprentice of Henry Baker,
with whom he immigrated in 1683. It is supposed that he lived in
Buckingham as early as 1690. He married and reared a large
family. Joseph Fell, ancestor of the numerous family of that
name, was born in 1668 at Longlands in Cumberland. After
learning the trade of a carpenter, he came to America in 1705
with wife and two children. They reached Bucks county by way of
Chesapeake bay, and lived in Makefield one year, but then (1706)
removed to Buckingham, where the family is numerously
represented. Among the new settlers who arrived in 1704 was
Thomas Watson, formerly of Pardsey Cragg, County Cumberland,
Great Britain, at which place his certificate as a Friend was
signed, 23d of 7th month, 1791. His wife was Eleanor Pearson, of
Probank, in Yorkshire. They had a family of two sons, Thomas and
John. Their first settlement was at a place then called Money
hill, in the northwestern part of Falls township, from whence
the family removed to Buckingham. William Carver was one of the
earliest settlers of Byberry, but exchanged his lands there for
a much larger tract in Buckingham, and several of his sons
removed thither. Mathew Hughes, Ephraim Fenton, Robert Smith,
William Lacey, John Lacey, Nathaniel Bye, Hugh Ely, Samuel
Hough, John Worstall, Henry Large, Joseph Large, Richard Lundy,
Jr., and Enoch Pearson were also early settlers. Mathew Hughes
was a man of considerable influence, although of very limited
education. He was a member from Bucks in the assembly of 1725,
and justice of the peace for a long time— a greater number of
years, it is said, than any other man in the county. John Watson
and John Lacey were also prominent citizens of the olden time:
the former as a surveyor, the latter as a soldier. Watson was
educated by Jacob Taylor, of Philadelphia, who afterward became
surveyor-general of the province, and appointed his pupil deputy
for Bucks county. As the county was then quite large, he was
assisted by John Chapman and Samuel Foulke. his business as a
surveyor and conveyancer was quite extensive. Some of his
peculiarities are yet remembered. He had a horror of
rattlesnakes, because his father had died from a bite of that
reptile. He wore loose, ill-fitting clothes, and was fond of
going barefoot in the summer time. When surveying in the woods,
however, he went to the opposite extreme, and wore uncommonly
thick boots. He was an expert penman. Franklin relates that
when, with Governor Morris and others, he was going to Easton to
hold a treaty with the Indians, they came upon Watson, who had
previously been engaged as secretary, mending his fences by the
York road. He was introduced to the governor, who looked with
some surprise upon his rough dress and bare feet, but found him
a valuable and an able secretary nevertheless. Watson was
commissioned by surveyor-general Nicholas Scull to assist in
running the line of Maryland and Delaware. While engaged in this
work Scull became ill and died. Watson thereupon became
surveyor-general; but like his predecessor he incurred a
malarial fever, and died at his home within a few weeks after
his appointment, he was regarded as one of the most proficient
members of his profession. He is buried at Buckingham
meeting-house.
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General John Lacey was a Quaker, but a zealous patriot and an
active officer in the revolution. His great-grandfather
emigrated from the Isle of Wight, and was among the earliest
settlers in the county. The family were principally farmers. The
educational opportunities of General Lacey were limited. At the
time of the revolution he was employed at the grist-mill of his
father, and with others of his neighbors responded to the
request of the county committee by organizing a volunteer
militia company, of which he was elected captain. His commission
from congress was dated January 5, 1776. On the twelfth of the
following month he recruited his company to its full complement.
They were attached to General Anthony Wayne’s Fourth
Pennsylvania Battalion, and directed to rendezvous at Chester.
From that point the march was begun to New York, and thence
continued in the direction of Canada. In April Lacey was
dispatched by Wayne to Philadelphia. In his absence his command
was conferred upon a Captain Moore, and Wayne declined to
reinstate him. Although thus unfairly treated, he enlisted as a
private, and at Ticonderoga in July he was again placed in
command. In January following he resigned his commission, owing
to personal difficulties with the commanding general. He
subsequently rose to the rank of colonel, and participated in
some of the most important engagements of the war. He was
elected to the assembly from Bucks county in 1778, and became a
member of council in 1779; he again appears as a soldier in
1780—81 in command of a brigade of Pennsylvania militia. After
the war he removed to New Jersey, where he was interested in the
iron business. Here he became county judge and member of the
legislature, and continued an active career until his death,
February 17, 1814.
The exact date of the separate organization of Buckingham as
a township cannot be definitely determined. Its first mention as
such is made by John Cutler in his resurvey of the county,
1702—3, but there is reason to believe that the township had a
nominal existence some years prior to that date. The name had
previously been applied to Bristol, and seems to have been a
favorite of Penn, The boundaries of Buckingham were thus defined
at the September term of the court of quarter sessions, 1722:
"Beginning at a corner by a street which lies between Buckingham
and Solebury, to run thence southwest by a line of marked trees
one thousand four hundred and ninety-three perches to a corner
by Claypole’s land; thence northwest by said land four hundred
and thirty perches to a corner; thence southwest two hundred and
ten perches to a corner; thence northwest by John Rowland’s land
one thousand and sixty perches to a corner by the society’s
land; thence northeast by said land three hundred and ninety
perches; thence northwest by the same five hundred and
forty-seven perches; thence northeast by Richard Hill and
Christopher Day’s land nine hundred and fifty-three perches;
thence northwest eighty perches to a corner by Thomas Brown’s
land; thence northeast three hundred and ninety perches, and
thence by the said street two thousand one hundred and
eighty-four perches to the place of beginning." Recorded
September 15, 1722, by order of court. The area thus described
has been considerably curtailed by the excision of its northwest
corner in favor of Doylestown in 1819, but the more than
eighteen thousand acres that yet remain entitle this to
recognition as the most important agricultural township of the
county. It has long been famous for the fertility of the soil,
the abundance and variety of its productions, and the
substantial appearance of its farm-houses and barns. Until quite
recent years the burning of lime was an important and lucrative
branch of industry. Kilns were erected some fifty years ago by
James Jamison. The business received a second impetus when coal
was introduced as fuel. Lime was henceforth used extensively as
a fertilizer until the introduction of commercial manures of a
different character. The effect of this change upon the lime
interests of this section is seen in the number of abandoned
kilns which appear upon every side. There are still those who
hope for a return of favor to lime as a fertilizer, but even
under present conditions its manufacture for building purposes
might be pursued with profit if there were better facilities for
getting the product to market. With the suspension of this
branch of industry Buckingham remains a purely agricultural
region. Its farms are not usually large,* and correspondingly
well tilled. The seed farm of Samuel Wilson, near
Mechanicsville, has become widely known. Many varieties of
garden vegetables, flowers, and field grains have been
originated and developed here. This business was established in
1876, and has expanded from year to year.
Two great highways of travel, the Durham and old York roads,
pass through Buckingham, intersecting at Centerville. The former
was opened through this section in 1738, the latter in 1711. In
former years, and no doubt within the memory of the present
generation, there passed over this road a public conveyance upon
the panels of which was emblazoned this auspicious title, "The
Swift Sure." This conveyance would, it was repeatedly asserted,
transfer the passenger from Philadelphia to New York in three
days— less obstructions such as snow-drifts, quagmires, etc.
Roadside inns were not only necessary, but indispensable at that
time. An institution of this character came into existence at
Centerville in due time. When the stage-coach at length gave
place to more rapid methods of locomotion, the old hotel
witnessed the departure of its greatest prosperity. It is
cherished among the traditions of the place that General Greene
made his quarters here, and that other distinguished officers
were his guests for a short time. A small hamlet clusters about
time cross-roads. Its principal feature is a Protestant
Episcopal church, founded in 1840, and usually considered part
of Doylestown parish. Buckingham post-office was established at
this place in 1805, with Cornelius Van Horn postmaster. A number
of other localities— Mechanicsville, Forestville, Concord,
Bushington, Lahaska, Pineville, and Greenville- are usually
classed as villages, and their number would seem to indicate
that the region is prolific in their production. Three—
Pineville, Bushington, and Lahaska— are upon the township
boundaries. There are two Friends’ meeting-houses at Lahaska.
The meetings of this society in Buckingham were held as early as
1700, at the houses of John Gillingham, William Cooper, James
Streator, and Nathaniel Bye. A log church was built in 1708 on
land given for that purpose three years previously. Upon the
establishment of a monthly meeting in 1721 a frame building was
erected. A stone house, both substantial and commodious, was
built in 1731, a portion of which was set apart for women’s
meetings. This was burned in 1768, whereupon the present
meeting-house was built. Spring Valley is the seat of Mechanics’
Valley post-office. A similar relation exists between Concord
and Mozart, the former being the village name and the latter
that of the post-office. Forestville was formerly known as
Forest Grove. The Presbyterian church at this place, founded
some years ago, has been under the pastoral care of Reverend
Jacob B. Krewson during the last fourteen years.
Much interest is manifested in education, and the history of
the schools of the township presents many interesting passages.
It is said that Thomas Watson attempted to establish an Indian
school as early as 1730—40, but without success, owing to the
ravages of smallpox among his pupils. In 1754 Adam Harker left a
legacy of thirty-five pounds to Wrightstown and forty pounds to
Buckingham monthly meeting for educational purposes. In 1768
certain residents of Buckingham united with others in
Wrightstown and Upper Makefield in leasing for school purposes a
tract of land "for and during the time the walls of a certain
house now building on said land shall by them, their heirs or
assigns, be thought sufficient to bear a roof," at a yearly rent
of one peppercorn. This house was finished and used for a school
many years. In 1789 thirty-two citizens of Buckingham subscribed
a trifle less than one hundred pounds, with which Tyro Hall was
built. This is one of the most famous schools of the township.
The next educational effort was made by the Friends in 1792. The
monthly meeting secured by contributions a school fund amounting
to seven hundred and fifty-nine pounds. The Harker legacy, which
had accumulated to a considerable sum, was applied to the
education of poor children. Legacies have since been added by
Joseph Walker, Jonathan Ingham, and Thomas Watson. The school
building was erected in 1794. The Orthodox branch of the society
subsequently built a second school-house. Schools were also
established at Carversville, Forestville, and Bushington. In
1811 Amos Austin Hughes bequeathed a farm of ninety-one acres
and eight thousand dollars in money to establish a charity for
the education and maintenance (when necessary) of poor children.
In 1841 a school-house was built, and within a few years
thereafter the trustees employed Joseph Fell as teacher. The
public-school system was adopted in 1834, the first board of
directors being Pryor Kirk, Joel Worthington, James Jamison,
William Beans, Jesse Reeder, and Robert Smith. Of the public
schools that known as Union claims to have graduated a judge, a
general, and a millionaire; while Buckingham hill numbers among
its former pupils the first two county superintendents, Joseph
Fell and William H. Johnson; five judges, Honorables Edward M.
Paxson, of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Richard Watson, of
Bucks county, Hampton Watson, of Kansas, Alfred Shaw, of New
Orleans, and D. Newlin Fell, of Philadelphia; two generals,
Andrew J. Smith and John Ely; and three members of Doctor Kane’s
exploring expedition. The old Union school-house was built in
1823; Church’s is so named from Joseph Church, upon whose land
it was built; Hickory Grove was formerly known as the octagon,
or eight square; Independent was built in 1844, Friendship in
1848, and Greenville in 1863. At the present time (1887) eleven
public schools are sustained an annual term of nine months.
SOLEBURY first appears in the records of the court of quarter
sessions in 1709, when it received the appointment of a
constable jointly with Buckingham. It is possible that this
arrangement may have existed prior to that date, but there is no
evidence in proof of this in the records of the court. The
earliest mention of the name yet discovered occurred in 1702. It
appears that William Beakes was granted one thousand three
hundred acres of land, five hundred and eighty of which he
located "at Quatielassy, in the county of Bucks, above the manor
of highlands," that being the way in which the location was
designated at the time, probably prior to 1690. The landmarks
having become indistinct, Phineas Pemberton, on the twelfth of
eighth month, 1702, was given a warrant for its recovery, and
the location is given as "Quatielassy, in Solebury, in the
county of Bucks." Pemberton died before executing his
commission, and John Cutler, who succeeded him, returned the
survey as six hundred and twenty-four acres, eighteen perches,
nearly one square mile. The land adjoining was owned at that
time by Paul Wolf, Edward Hartling, Randal Spakeman, and William
Croasdale. The Beakes tract was at the mouth of the Cuttelossa.
Among others who held lands in northeastern Solebury was Samuel
Beakes, whose tract of three hundred and fifty acres was
surveyed by warrant of October 15, 1702, and confirmed by patent
March 14, 1703. On the eleventh of sixth month, 1703, William
Croasdale purchased from the commissioners of property two
hundred and fifty acres; prior to the making of his will in
1687, George White became the owner of fifteen acres of land.
Henry Paxson purchased two hundred and fifty acres from
Croasdale in 1704. "Pikeland," a tract of six hundred and
twenty-four acres, was confirmed by patent to Joseph Pike,
December 3, 1705. March 19, 1714, it passed into possession of
Ebenezer Pike, who willed it in 1724 to Richard Pike, of the
city of Cork. January 7, 1763, Joseph Eastburn, Sr., purchased a
portion of this tract. It has remained in his family since that
time, and was given the name of Rabbit Run farm by the present
proprietors. At the time of Cutler’s survey nearly all the land
was seated. Thomas Story owned one thousand acres; George White,
fifteen hundred; Thomas Carns, four hundred and fifty; John
Scarborough, about five hundred; Sypke Anke, three hundred;
James Logan, five hundred; William Beakes, about six hundred;
and others, tracts of varying size. James Pellar was an early
settler, and is said to have built a house in 1689 in this
township. Jacob Holcomb was a resident in 1700. Samuel Eastburn,
whose father was living in Philadelphia in 1700, is thought to
have been the first of that name in this county, whither he
removed in 1728. Edward Blackfan, a connection of the Penns and
a resident at Pennsbury for some years, removed to Solebury
about 1720. The following is a partial list Of residents in
1730: Henry Paxson, William Paxson, James Paxson, George Pownal,
Isaac Pellar, John Scarborough, William White, Edward Beck,
Joseph Duer, Francis Hough, John Hough, Thomas Brown, John
Skelton, Edward Hartley, Roger Hartley, Nathaniel Bye, Joseph
Lupton.
Among others who may be classed as early settlers were John
Schofield, John Rich, William Neely, Edward Rice, and Mr.
Hutchinson, of whom but little more is known than the fact that
they once lived here. Schofield came from Buckinghamshire,
England, probably before 1720. Thomas Canby was an early
settler, and is said to have been greatly in favor with the
Indians. "Until a sufficient quantity of grain was raised for
themselves and the newcomers, all further supply had to be
brought from the Falls or Middletown; and until 1707 all the
grain had to be taken there, or to Morris Gwin’s, on the
Pennepack, below the Billet, to be ground. In that year Robert
Heath built a grist-mill on the Great Spring stream in Solebury.
This must have been a great hardship, to go so far to mill for
more than seventeen years, and chiefly on horseback. It was some
time that they had to go that distance with their plow-irons and
other smithwork. Horses were seldom shod; and blocks to pound
hominy were a useful invention borrowed from the natives." The
oldest mill in Solebury with which the present generation has
any acquaintance was built by Samuel Armitage about 1750, midway
in the course of the Cuttelossa, the first in the neighborhood
or upon this stream. Armitage was from Yorkshire, England. He
was a weaver by trade, but possessed also considerable
mechanical ability. The enduring structure built by him was
justly regarded as one of the most complete of its kind. The
Cuttelossa has lost nothing of its romantic beauty, nor has the
"Great Spring" (otherwise known as Ingham’s and Aquetong) ceased
to excite the wonder of the visitor. Some idea of its magnitude
may be gained from the fact that the volume of water is
sufficient to furnish motive power for several mills. The
remarkable flow of water and its apparently inexhaustible source
render Aquetong a noticeable feature of the township.
An equal degree of interest attaches to the Solebury copper
mine, the discovery of which opened a wide field for speculation
among the curious. The main shaft, running northwest from the
entrance, is four feet wide, seven feet high; sixty-six feet
from the entrance it crosses a chamber about fifteen feet in
diameter, seven in height, with a stone pillar near the center.
The drift extends twelve feet eastward from the chamber. To the
right of the latter is the main shaft to the surface, six feet
in diameter and about thirty in height, which descends through
the chamber to a depth of twenty-two feet, and at the bottom a
second drift is encountered, extending northward fifteen feet. A
tradition concerning the existence of the mine has always been
current in the neighborhood. A considerable depression in the
ground above the hill, and an intermittent spring at his side,
with other indications, induced Mr. John T. Neely, in 1854, to
seek their cause, and confirm by his discoveries the general
belief of the inhabitants. The spring was found to be the
opening of the drift, and the depression that of the shaft. The
land surrounding was originally seated by William Coleman, from
whom it passed to a company composed of James Hamilton,
Langhorne Biles, Joseph Farren, William Plumstead, William
Allen, and Lawrence Growden, all of whom are known to have been
interested in Durham furnace. They disposed of the land in 1753
to Robert Thompson, reserving the "full and free liberty,
license, and authority to dig, search, and work for copper,
lead, or iron ore, and the right of way to and from the mines to
the river Delaware." There is no evidence that they or any
subsequent purchasers made the original excavations. Indian
tradition asserts most clearly, however, that "white men worked"
the mine. Who they were, whence they came, and what disposition
was made of the minerals they extracted, are among the secrets
of history.
Independent of the mine as a subject of historic interest,
the locality is not without other associations of a similar
character. Within a short distance Washington and his generals
met to plan the battle of Trenton, and all around their troops
were quartered. It is said that a miller in the vicinity took a
supply of flour to Trenton a few days before Christmas, and
returned with much important information for the
commander-in-chief. At the top of Bowman’s hill is the reputed
burial-place of Dr. John Bowman, who, it is said, was surgeon in
an English fleet sent out to capture Captain Kidd, but turned
pirate himself, came to Bucks county after Kidd was hanged,
built a cabin at the foot of the hill, and excited the curiosity
of the inhabitants by his frequent ramblings over the hill. The
story is probably derived largely from their excited
imaginations.
There are other landmarks of the past of which the history is
less obscure, and their influence upon the present more clearly
defined. Among these is the York road, opened in 1711 from
Center Bridge to Philadelphia, largely through the efforts of
residents of Solebury. It has always been a great thoroughfare.
After breaking up his camp at Valley Forge, General Washington
and his army traversed this route on their way to New York. The
river ferries were also locally important, but their early
history is indistinct. Toward the close of the last century,
four ferries— Wall’s, Painter’s, Mitchell’s, and Coryell’s— seem
to have been on an equality as to patronage, with a possible
preponderance in favor of Mitchell’s and Coryell’s, induced by
their position upon the arms of the York road. A change in the
relative importance of these places was first apparent in the
decade following 1784. That year is rendered important by the
advent of Benjamin Parry into time quiet neighborhood about the
mouth of Aquetong creek. That stream was already utilized for
various purposes. Philip Williams established a fulling-mill
along its bank in 1712, a saw-mill and forge were added to this
about 1743, and the grist-mill of Robert Heath was still in
operation. The ferry was established in 1722 by Emanuel Coryell
upon the Jersey shore, John Wells having previously been
ferryman upon time Pennsylvania side. The honors of the name
were sometimes with the one family and sometimes with the other.
Parry secured a mill-site upon the Aquetong in 1784, and at once
engaged in active business. He established the manufacture of
linseed oil, and extensive lumber-mills. He was interested in
the development of timber lands at the head waters of the
Lehigh, and from this locality the lumber manufactured at his
mill was drawn. He operated Prime Hope mills in Hunterdon
county, New Jersey, and New Hope mill on this side of the river.
Beside these local enterprises, he was also engaged in business
at Philadelphia. Three other men— William Maris, Lewis S.
Coryell, and Joseph D. Murray— contributed largely to the
business importance of the town. Maris was a builder, and
erected some of the largest and most substantial houses in the
county at that time. Coryell was a carpenter, but was also a
civil engineer of great skill. He was associated with Parry in
many of his enterprises, but is best remembered as a persistent
advocate of public improvements, and for the wide political
influence he wielded. Murray was a native of North Carolina,
whence he removed to Philadelphia in 1812, and thence to New
hope five years later. He entered into partnership with Coryell
in contracting for the canal excavations through New hope, and
for other work in the construction of locks, etc. These men made
New Hope the most active business town in the county. Hulmeville
possessed something of the same character, but Bristol, although
larger, was not a manufacturing place, and Doylestown had little
else than a recognized existence.
The crowning effort of this coterie of business men, the most
substantial reminder of the prosperity they brought about, and
possibly the cause of its departure, is the New hope Delaware
bridge. The inception of this enterprise is generally attributed
to Benjamin Parry. The first effort to organize a company was
made September 25, 1811, at the public house of Garret Meldrum,
in New Hope. Benjamin Parry, Samuel D. Ingham, Joseph Lambert,
Cephas Ross, and Jeremiah Kershaw were constituted a committee
of ways and means. The company was incorporated by the
legislatures of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, December 23, 1812.
The following persons were time principal subscribers: Benjamin
Parry, Samuel D. Ingham, Hugh Ely, John Beaumont, Robert T.
Neeley, John Coryell, Charles Stewart, John Keith, Joseph
Lambert, Leopold Nottnagel, Isaac Landis, Francis Murphy, John
Parker, David Heston, John Holcomb, Daniel Parry, Richard
Corson, Joshua Vansant, Richard Leedom, Enos Addis, Wilson
Lambert, Bishop & Kershaw, Solomon Landis, Joseph Stout, Amos
Taylor, Jeremiah Kershaw, G.W. Lambert, A.L. Ross. The total
cost of the structure was sixty-seven thousand, nine hundred and
thirty-six dollars and thirty-seven cents. Charles Stewart, one
of the contributors, was a commodore in the United States navy,
commander of the historic Constitution, and grandfather of
Charles Stewart Parnell, the Irish agitator. The work of
construction was begun in April, 1813, and the first vehicle
crossed September 13, 1814. The charter of the company also
conferred banking privileges; and two banks were opened, that in
New Hope being situated in a large double brick building on
Bridge street, and that in Lambertville at the corner of Union
and York streets. The bank failed in 1826; the bridge was sold
to satisfy its creditors, and finally passed into possession of
Samuel Grant, Esq., of Philadelphia, who purchased it November
29, 1853. The property with all its franchises was purchased in
1887 by a number of persons interested in reviving the original
organization. This was effected at Camden, New Jersey, May 7,
1887, when Charles S. Atkinson was elected president; John S.
Studdiford, Richard Randolph Parry, Charles Crook, T.T. Eastburn,
Joseph P. Stockton, and Watson P. Magill, directors; John S.
Williams, secretary and treasurer. And thus, after experiencing
many changes, the bridge is again vested in a local company, as
at the beginning of its history.
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New Hope was incorporated as a borough April 26, 1837. The
first election resulted in the choice of John Parry, burgess;
Jonathan Johnson, constable; Joseph D. Murray, D.K. Reeder,
Mordecai Thomas, Isaac McCarty, and Sands Olcott, councilmen.
The population in 1840 was eight hundred and twenty; in 1850,
one thousand one hundred and thirty-four; in 1860, one thousand
one hundred and forty-one; in 1870, one thousand two hundred and
twenty-five; in 1880, one thousand one hundred and fifty-two.
The opening of the canal in l831 deferred for a time the evil
results occasioned by the collapse of the bank, but the former
prosperity never returned. The opening of the Belvidere Delaware
railroad in 1834 gave to Lambertville a powerful ascendency, and
from that time New Hope virtually has remained stationary. It
has been the objective point of several railroads, but the
expectation of the citizens in this respect have been uniformly
disappointed. The present manufacturing interests comprise a
twine factory, owned and operated by John King, Esq., of New
York; a cotton factory, owned by Joseph Whitely; and the works
of the "Union Mills Paper Manufacturing Company," of which
Messrs. F.W. Roebling, Clark Fisher, B.F. Lee, John A. Hall, and
Edward R. Solliday are constituent partners. "Union Mills" have
existed in name since 1817, when Lewis S. Coryell and Joseph D.
Murray operated a saw-mill and grist-mill by water-power derived
from the Delaware at Wells’s falls. They were succeeded by the
Ball Lock Company. These locks attained a wide celebrity, but
the venture was not a financial success. William and Charles
Crook took possession of the property, and for a score of years
conducted the manufacture of agricultural implements with a
greater degree of success than their predecessors. James M.
Patton next utilized the water-power in grinding barytes and
other chemicals. Then, for twenty-five years or longer, the
property was allowed to rust and decay, until, in 1880, it was
purchased by the present proprietors. They at once removed the
dilapidated buildings that then marked the former presence of
active industry. The present plant represents a cost of one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars. A motive force of three
hundred horse-power is derived from three turbine waterwheels,
one hundred and eight, eighty-seven, and fifty-seven inches in
diameter respectively. Exclusive attention is given to the
manufacture of manilla wrapping and copying paper. The cylinders
used are eighty-eight and sixty-two inches wide, the average
capacity per day being about six tons. The annual product is
valued at twenty-five thousand dollars. A pumping station at
this place supplies the canal with water.
Three religious denominations are represented in New hope—
Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic. Methodism
was introduced about 1830 by Reverend Daniel Bartine, who
preached occasionally at the house of Samuel Sutton. Soon
afterward Reverends Edward Page and Asbury Boring began to hold
services with some regularity, first at Mr. Sutton’s house and
then in the academy building. The first class numbered seven,
viz., Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Sutton, Mr. and Mrs. Newland, Mrs.
Hibbs, Pettinger, and Vansant. The appointment was attached to
Bristol circuit, of which D.W. Bartine and James Hand were then
in charge. Among those who have since preached there were
Reverends R. Owen, Samuel Irwin, M. Caskey, J.D. Custis, W.H.
Elliott, John Ruth, D.D. Love, W.H. Williams, ----- Gentner, J.W.
Author, C.J. Crouch, M. Sisty, John Edwards, Alfred Cookman,
M.A. Day, J.H. Turner, J.A. Watson, N.C. Stockton, -----
Hickman, N.J. Paxson, W.B. Wood, George Quigley, and D.L.
Patterson. New Hope became a station about 1855, and William
Mullen was appointed preacher in charge. His successors in this
capacity have been: O.W. Landreth, C.T. Frame, J. Walsh, E.E.
Stevens, L. Dobson, W.P. Howell, W.J. Mills, N.D. McComas, L.B.
Brown, S.B. Best, Garbutt Read, and Frank B. Lynch, the present
incumbent. The first church building was erected in 1836—37. The
present one, the finest M.E. church in the county, was dedicated
June 7, 1874, and October 1, 1880. It is a stone structure,
seventy by forty-four feet, with two floors, the first
comprising vestibule, class-rooms, infant school, and Sunday
school rooms; a wide stairway ascends to the audience-room,
which is well furnished, and has a seating capacity of five
hundred.
St. Martin of Tours parish, New Hope, Reverend Peter Quinn,
pastor, originated in 1885 in the labors of Reverend Henry
Stommel, of Doylestown. He was delegated by the archbishop; and
on Sunday, February 22, 1585, called a meeting of the Catholic
residents of the place, at which the advisability of building a
church edifice, and the ability to do so and support a pastor
were considered. The matter was held under advisement for a
time, and no definite action taken until four weeks later, when
it was decided to build. Father Stommel had meanwhile purchased
six acres of ground, which was now transferred to the bishop of
the diocese. The work of building was at once begun. The
corner-stone was laid, May 3d, by Reverends Stommel and Brady.
July 12th two new bells were blessed. Two children were
christened in the church on that day, and on the following
Sunday time first mass in the new structure was celebrated.
August 16th to 23d Father Stommel conducted a mission, at which
four persons professed conversion. August 20th, the first
wedding occurred, and September 7th the first funeral, that of
Mrs. Elizabeth Pidcock. The dedication occurred September 17th,
Archbishop Ryan officiating, four clergymen being present. The
sacrament of confirmation and baptism were administered, and
solemn mass celebrated in the presence of a large concourse of
people. The ceremonies throughout were most impressive. The
archbishop and his retinue entered the town from Lambertville.
The procession consisted of the clergy, an escort of thirty
young men on horseback, bands of music, and a number of private
carriages, pedestrians, etc. Triumphal arches had been erected
at various places on the way to the church, and the streets were
lined with people. This was the most imposing civic or religious
demonstration the town has ever known.
The church edifice is a solid stone structure, eighty by
forty feet in dimensions, with a sanctuary in shape of a bay
window at the south side, and sacristy annexed. The first floor
consists of eight rooms, the residence of the priest. The tower
is about one hundred feet high. The interior arrangements of the
audience-room are substantial and attractive. The seating
capacity is four hundred. The cemetery adjoining was laid out
and blessed September 6, 1885. Father Stommel continued in
charge as pastor until October 18, 1886, when, in the afternoon
at three o’clock, he installed as the first regular pastor
Reverend Peter Quinn. The numerical strength of the parish is
estimated at four hundred souls.
The Presbyterian chapel is connected with the Thompson
Memorial church. It was built in 1874—75 through the efforts of
R. Randall Hoes, a graduate of Princeton college and prospective
student of theology. The chapel is a neat frame structure, with
seating capacity of two hundred, and cost about twenty-three
hundred dollars. A Sunday school was established and conducted
by the Lambertville Presbyterian church. Reverend P.A.
Studdiford preached occasionally, but in 1876 the chapel and its
worshippers were transferred to the church with which it is now
connected, of which Reverend Dwight C. Hanna is pastor.
Of the present houses in the town the oldest is that known as
the Vansant property. Of others, built prior to 1817, the
following are still occupied:
The Parry and Paxson mansions, the frame building and hotel
opposite the former, the stone house on Front street corner of
Mechanic, Dr. Richard Corson’s residence on Ferry street, the
frame house on Front adjoining William H. Murray’s store, built
in 1808 by John Beaumont, in which Mr. Murray has lived since
1817. The Parry mansion was built in 1784 by Benjamin Parry.
Three years were consumed in building, but the completed
structure amply justifies the pains thus bestowed. It was at
that time, and remains to-day, one of the most substantial
residences of the county. Over the main entrance is the quaint
bonnet or hood then considered indispensable and never removed.
Beneath is the old-fashioned oak door with transverse panels and
massive hinges, brass knocker, and cumbrous lock. This opens
into a wide hail, extending through the middle of the house,
with a long parlor on one side, dining-room and drawing-room on
the other. Upon the walls are family portraits and other
carefully preserved heirlooms. The upper floors are reached by a
stairway of easy ascent. Upon the landing half-way up stands the
old eight-day clock, which has ticked in and ticked out the
lives of several generations of the family. Five rooms
communicate with the upper hall. There is an attic overhead, and
far up amid the rafters a secret room, the receptacle of
valuable papers in the time of the original owner. No efforts
have been made to modernize the stately old pile, and it is to
be hoped that it will long remain what it now is— a true type of
eighteenth century architecture. "Maple Grove," the home of the
Paxsons, has been materially changed, unfortunately for its
importance in the eyes of the antiquarian. It was originally an
old-style, double stone mansion, two stories in height, with
attic above, the front door opening at time center into a wide
hall, with rooms on either side. The windows throughout were
filled with the quaint, old-fashioned, diminutive panes of "ye
olden time." Much of the original structure still stands,
although the present owner has remodelled it to a great extent,
and it now presents the appearance of a handsome modern
residence. From the south the house is approached by a broad
avenue lined with trees, leading to the York road. An old tree
just east of the end of the lane is pointed out as the one to
which General Washington tied his horse while his army was
crossing the river. The date when the house was built has never
been accurately ascertained, although it is known that Oliver
Paxson was its first occupant. It was probably erected in
ante-revolutionary times.
Although the oldest and most important town in Solebury, New
Hope does not monopolize that distinction. The post-villages of
the township are Lumberville, Carversville, Center Bridge,
Aquetong, Lahaska, and Buckmansville. Peter’s Corner, Center
Hill, and Lumberton are places of secondary importance.
Lumberville was given its present name in 1814 by Messrs. Heed
and Hartley, who were then engaged in the lumber business there,
previous to which it was known as Wall’s Landing, Colonel George
Wall having been proprietor of the mills, justice of the peace,
surveyor, and conveyancer. The bridge was in process of erection
from 1854 to 1857, and cost eighteen thousand dollars. A
Methodist church was built in 1836, Reverend J. Finley having
formed a society three years previously. Lumberton is situated
at the junction of the Cuttelossa and the Delaware. There was a
mill at this place long before the revolution, of which William
Skelton was proprietor in 1771, when he sold it to John Kugler.
George Warne became the owner in 1782. Reuben Thomas and Jacob
Painter were the next proprietors. In 1800 the place comprised a
tavern, store, and grist-mill. John Gillingham built a new
sawmill in 1816, and projected other improvements. In 1825
Samuel Runk, who rented the hotel from Jeremiah King, asked his
landlord for a new sign, which was refused. Thereupon he
extemporized one bearing the suggestive legend, "Hard Times," by
which name the place was known until 1833, when John E.
Kenderdine conferred upon it that which it now bears. The most
noteworthy feature of the place is its quarries, the property of
William H. Kemble, of Philadelphia. The product consists mainly
of Belgian paving stones. The available ledge of so-called
granite is practically inexhaustible. A wire-rope tramway
connects the quarries with the Belvidere Delaware railroad on
the opposite side of the river. Center Bridge is so known from
its position about midway between Lumberville and New hope.
Among its active citizens at the beginning of the century was
John Mitchell. The bridge was built in 1813, mainly through his
efforts. A thrilling incident occurred in connection with this
bridge in 1841. George B. Fell, a merchant in the vicinity,
walked out upon it to obtain a view of the river, which was
rising rapidly. While in this position the part upon which he
stood was swept from the piers, and the unfortunate gentleman,
who could not swim, began his perilous journey down the
Delaware. Measures were at once taken for his rescue. Hiram
Scarborough, of New Hope, put out from the Pennsylvania shore in
a small boat, but failed to reach Mr. Fell, who was seen to
emerge from under the bridge at that place upon a raft of
driftwood. William H. Murray had just crossed the bridge to give
the alarm on the Jersey shore, when the two piers on that side
were swept away, and the danger of the hapless voyager in
mid-stream doubly increased. Mr. Fell passed under the
Taylorsville bridge in safety, and at Yardley Edward Nickleson
repeated the efforts of Mr. Scarborough, and succeeded in
bringing the exhausted and despairing man to shore.
The Lahaska Methodist church is about all of that village
that is in Solebury. It was built in 1853 at a Cost of one
thousand dollars, and enlarged in 1868. Reverend M.H. Sisty was
the first pastor.
The Solebury Baptist church originated in the labors of
Reverends George Young and J.P. Walton of the First Baptist
church in Lambertville, N.J. The former first preached in the
vicinity of Paxson’s corner in the winter of 1840, and in the
following spring the first four converts were baptized; the
latter, his successor at Lambertville, instituted regular
services, and in December, 1842, conducted a protracted meeting
in a school-house not far from the present church edifice, at
which many were converted. The necessity of a church
organization was now apparent, and at a meeting March 6, 1843,
favorable action on the subject was taken. Definite action was
taken March 28, 1843, when thirteen members, with Reverends
Joseph Matthias, H.G. Jones, Joseph Wright, and J.P. Walton,
convened to organize. The church was constituted with the
thirteen members present May 10th following. Reverend Walton was
elected pastor, John and Jacob Naylor deacons, and Albert
Edwards clerk, and the membership increased to thirty-three
before the close of the year. September 5, 1846, Mr. Walton
resigned. During the three years following Reverend W.B. Swope
of Lambertville supplied the pulpit. Reverend Joseph Wright was
pastor from 1849 to 1853; Joseph N. Folwell from 1853 to 1855;
William Birdsall, 1857; Samuel G. Kline, 1859; Martin M. King,
1859—63 Silas Livermore, 1865—66; George H. Lavison, M.D.,
1869—76; Charles H. Thomas, 1876—78; C.H. Frame, 1879—82; George
H. Lavison, M.D., 1882—85; W.P. Hile, 1885 -----. The church
edifice was begun in 1844, finished in 1851, and remodelled in
1869. Much of the later prosperity of this church is directly
traceable to the personal efforts of Dr. Lavison.
The "Thompson Memorial Church of Solebury" was organized in
1813 as the "Presbyterian Church of Solebury." Many of the
original members were formerly connected with the Presbyterian
church of Newtown. Among this number were William Neely, Richard
Corson, and Mrs. Samuel D. Ingharn. Dr. Amazi Armstrong, of New
Jersey, seems to have been especially active in agitating the
building of a church edifice, which was effected in 1812. The
church was formally organized on the third Sunday of April,
1813, by Dr. Wilson, under direction of the Presbytery of
Philadelphia. William Neely, Benjamin Pidcock, Thomas M.
Thompson, and David Wynkoop were elected ruling elders. No
records are extant for the first nine years, but it is known
that Reverends Samuel B. Howe and Thomas Dunn were pastors
during part of that time. In the autumn of 1821 Peter O.
Studdiford, a licentiate of the New Brunswick Presbytery, was
called as stated supply. Four years later he became pastor, and
so continued until June, 1848. his successors were as follows:
W.H. Kirk, 1849—53; Henry E. Spayd, 1853-67; Henry Calkins,
1868—73; William Dayton Roberts, 1876—81; Henry D. Lindsay,
1883—84; Dwight C. Hanna, 1886 ----. The present stone church
edifice was built in 1875 by William Neely Thompson, Esq., of
New York, in memory of his father, Thomas M. Thompson, one of
the founders of the church. It was dedicated October 13, 1875,
Reverend P.A. Studdiford officiating. It is a stone structure,
one of the most beautiful in the county.
The Carversville Presbyterian church was organized in 1870 by
Reverend F.R.S. Hunsicker, whose pastorate ceased December 31,
1883. Reverend Henry G. Gleiser has since been in charge. The
Solebury Friends’ meeting was first held 12 mo. 30th, 1806, in a
commodious meeting-house about the center of the township, the
constituent members having previously worshipped at Buckingham,
from which meeting they received much pecuniary aid. This is the
predominant religious body in the township.
Among the distinguished men of Bucks county birth Solebury is
represented by Major Andrew Ellicott, the most eminent of a
family of whom all were above mediocrity and upon which a rare
degree of talent seems to have been conferred. He was born
January 24, 1754. Though of Quaker parentage, he commanded a
company of the Maryland Line during the revolution. His
scientific attainments soon attracted public attention, and in
1784 he was employed on behalf of Virginia in fixing the
boundary line between that state and Pennsylvania. In 1786 the
supreme executive council of the latter state commissioned him
to survey its northern boundary line. In 1788 he was directed to
make a survey of the islands in the Allegheny and Ohio rivers in
western Pennsylvania. In 1789 he was commissioned by the United
States government to survey the western boundary of New York
state, and ascertain the validity of the claim of that state to
the site of Erie. His valuable service in this responsible duty
seems to have been duly appreciated, for he writes upon its
conclusion: "General Washington has treated me with attention.
The speaker of congress and the governor of the state have
constantly extended to me most flattering courtesies." In 1790
he was employed by the general government to survey and lay out
the District of Columbia and Washington city. In 1796 Washington
appointed him commissioner to establish the boundary line
between the United States and the Spanish possessions. One
important trust succeeded another, and for forty years he was
constantly employed in some public capacity. In March, 1801,
Jefferson appointed him surveyor-general of the United States.
In September, 1813, he was appointed professor of mathematics at
West Point; he removed to that place the same year, and there
died, August 28, 1820. President Hale thus summarizes his
career: "The memoirs of Andrew Ellicott, when written, will form
a valuable addition to the history of our country, taking us
away from the beaten ground of battlefields and senate chambers
and cabinets to the services which science can render in the
settlement of a new country in a civilized age." His family
removed to Maryland in 1770, and there established important
manufactures on the Patapsco river; a town has grown up at this
point and bears the name of Ellicott City.
Samuel D. Ingham occupies a conspicuous place among those who
have risen from obscurity to commanding influence. Born at Great
Spring, in Solebury, September 16, 1779, he succeeded to little
else save an honorable name. His great-grandfather, Jonas
Ingham, settled at Trenton about 1705. In 1710 he removed to
Solebury and purchased from James Logan the property long known
as Ingham Spring. Jonathan Ingham, Sr., the grandfather of
Samuel D. was born here in 1710, and his son Jonathan, the
father of Samuel D., July 16, 1744. The latter was a physician,
and rose to eminence in that profession. He lost his life during
the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia. At the time of his
death Samuel was the oldest surviving son, and resolutely
assumed the care and maintenance of his widowed mother and her
dependent family. He became an apprentice at the paper-making
business in an establishment on Pennypack creek. Here, through
much persevering effort, he acquired an education. At the age of
twenty-one he returned to his mother’s home and took charge of a
paper-mill on the Great Spring stream. August 25, 1801, he
married Rebecca Dodd, of Bloomfield, N.J., a lady of Puritan
extraction, who exercised a favorable influence upon his
character.
His political career began in 1805, when he was elected a
member of the Pennsylvania legislature, in which position he was
continued three terms. Previous to this he had been actively
interested in township and county affairs, and was several times
secretary of the democratic county conventions. Upon his
declination of a third legislative term, Governor McKean
commissioned him a justice of the peace, for which position his
judicial temperament well qualified him. His interest in the
welfare of the community is shown by the active support he
rendered the New Hope bridge project, the ultimate success of
which he was largely instrumental in accomplishing. In 1812 he
was chosen a representative in congress from this district by a
majority of two thousand; he was again chosen in 1814 by an
increased majority, and in 1816 he was elected to a third term,
but the failing health of his wife prompted his resignation. He
then accepted the position of prothonotary of this county, and
removed his residence for a few years to Doylestown. Governor
Findlay appointed him secretary of the commonwealth in 1819, an
office which be filled with ability to the close of the
gubernatorial term. In 1822, 1824, 1826, and 1828 he was a
member of congress. For some time he was chairman of the
committee on post-offices and post-roads, and a member of the
ways and means committee, and his influence in shaping the
legislation of the period was marked. In 1828 he was among the
warm supporters of General Jackson, as he had also been four
years previously, when Adams was elected by the house of
representatives. Ingham thereupon wrote a pamphlet violently
denouncing this subversion of the popular will and warmly
advocating Jackson’s claims. The latter was a man of intensely
ardent personal feelings. The important political support Ingham
had rendered was regarded by him as the strongest claim of the
latter upon his gratitude, and in 1829 he nominated him to the
second position in his cabinet, the treasury portfolio, for
which his natural ability and long political career were
regarded as sufficient qualifications. The United States bank
was at this time in the full tide of prosperity, but for reasons
that need not be here explained the president’s attitude toward
it was hostile. This was one of the first subjects that engaged
Mr. Ingham’s attention. His views, and also his style of thought
and expression, are shown in the following extract from a
communication to Nicholas Biddle regarding the bank: "Having
labored ardently to create it, I may not be supposed the first
to contaminate or decry it; but however imposing its attitude,
if once satisfied that the powers of its charter and the
resources of its wealth are debased and perverted to practices
at war with the liberties of the country and the rights and
liberties of my fellow-citizens, no consideration of a personal
nature will curb me in exercising the legal power with which I
may be invested, to check its tendencies and reform its abuses;
and it will be my care, not less than my duty, never to
surrender any of the rights vested in the government for this
purpose." Mr. Ingham resigned the office of secretary of the
treasury in April, 1831, and relinquished the duties of that
position in August following. His political policy was almost
universally endorsed by his Pennsylvania constituents, and the
president himself expressed entire satisfaction with his
management of "the fiscal affairs of the nation." But the
caprice, obstinacy, and virulence of Jackson in his personal
antipathies were such as to render the dissolution of his
cabinet unavoidable, however ably the functions of its members
were administered. Mr. Ingham was subsequently interested in the
development of the coal regions of this state and in various
internal improvements. He died June 6, 1860, at Trenton, New
Jersey, and his remains are interred in the graveyard of the
Thompson Memorial church, Solebury.
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General Zebulon M. Pike represents the military profession
among Solebury’s distinguished trio. Born at Trenton January 5,
1779, his father removed to Lumberton within a few years, where
he was reared and secured his early education. In youth he
enlisted in the company of his father, Captain Zebulon Pike, who
was stationed with the regular army on the frontier. January 3,
1799, he was commissioned ensign in an infantry regiment, of
which he became second lieutenant April 24, 1800. He advanced
rapidly in the esteem and confidence of his superiors. When the
Louisiana purchase was consummated and the government took
measures to explore and define its limits, he was selected for
this responsible mission. August 9, 1805, with a small body of
soldiers and scouts, he embarked at St. Louis, the first
explorer of the great northwest under the auspices of the United
States. He was at once commanding officer, surveyor, astronomer,
naturalist. The expedition returned in nine months, having
fairly accomplished its object. He was shortly afterward
dispatched on a similar mission to the region of the Arkansas
and Red rivers, involving perils and hardships of which it is
impossible to form an adequate conception. In July, 1807, his
party emerged from the vast wilderness they had traversed at
Natchitoches, and Pike received the thanks of congress in a
resolution expressive of appreciation of his "zeal,
perseverance, and intelligence." A narrative of the various
journeys he had performed, prepared by himself, was published in
1810. It reached several editions and was republished at London
and Amsterdam. The author relinquished his literary labors in
1813, when he resumed his military life as the commander of a
force of fifteen hundred men for the invasion of Canada. At
York, April 27, 1813, he met his death by the explosion of a
magazine of the retiring garrison. His career presents many
interesting experiences.
* In 1787 Michael Walter owned five hundred acres of land;
Thomas Watson, three hundred and sixty Dr. John Watson, three
hundred and forty—seven Timothy Smith, two hundred and ninety;
William Preston, two hundred and fifty; John Malone, two hundred
and forty; William Kimble, two hundred and sixty; Amos Hughes,
two hundred and eighty-six; David Gilbert, two hundred and
sixty; Samuel Fenton, two hundred and forty Joseph Carver, two
hundred and forty; John Beal, two hundred and ninety-eight;
Thomas Bye, three hundred and eighty-three; William Bennet,
three hundred and twenty-three; Samuel Harrold, two hundred and
thirty-five. There were seventy-seven farms ranging in size from
one hundred to two hundred acres A comparison of this with the
size of farms at the present day is suggestive.
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