CLIPPING- MT.ECHO-1944

EARLY INHABITANTS WERE INDIANS - FIRST SETTLERS WERE BOGGS FAMILY WHO WERE MASSACRED

Hunlock Twp. is only 67 yrars old. It was orgainzed on Jan, 8, 1877: taken from Union and Plymouth Twps. At the time of it's formation it had a population of 759,which in 1890 had increased to 881, in 1930, 1,242. In the early days there were friendly and peacable Indians, inhabiting the foorhills and small patches in the narrow valley which they cultivated.

The first settler was a man named Boggs who located on the Abram Van Horn place, built a log cabin, cleared a small patch and lived there some years. Boggs joined the Revolutionary Army and it is supposed he was away from home when his family were driven away or massacred by the Indians.It is a ledgen that the friendly Indians who were neighbors of the Boggs family shared their fate, Jonathan Hunlock, from whom the Twp. gets it's name, and Edwards Blanchard settled prior to 1778 at the mouth of the creek. they were without families and returned to CT about 1790. Soon after Frederick Croop settled near the river and opened the I. Davenport farm. About the same time came John Croop and the numerous families of Sorbers and settled back of the mountain and up the creek, a mile or more from it's mouth, where Hiram Croop's mill was built. Philip Sorber, son of Jacob, made his improvements a mile still further up the creek. These two families - Sorbers and Croops were mill men and sawed out much of the lumber from their own tracks.

Other German families followed the Sorbers and Croops, coming accross from the Upper Deleware, namley, the Miller, Cases, Davenports, Cragles, Deits and Braders. These made good and thrifty citizens , noted for their industry and sobriety. In 1797, Joseph Dodson moved into the settlement from the adjoining Plymouth settlement. He had married Susanna Bennett, daughter of Joshua Bennett. His son Joseph B. Dodson was born in the old place where he resided all his long life; an aged and respected citizen and the survivor of his family. Samuel Dodson and his brother- in- law, Isaac Van Horn were pioneers and good citizens.

A smelting furnace was built in 1857 near the mouth of the creek, by William Koons. that industry passed away when the canal came, bringing iron casts at the iron ore points. For some years the foundation walls of the old iron works were visible . Now we believe nothing marks the spot. Frederick Hartman built his flouring mill in 1843, three miles up the creek. Ransom Monroe and successors operated it for many years.Leonard Richie built the feed mill and saw mill about a mile above the Hartman mill. George Gregory, in 1857, bought Prichards feed mill and rebuilt and enlarged it in the following year with his brother, Benjamine Gregory. In 1869, Jacob Rice built a feed and chopping mill about one mile from the mouth of the creek.

Ransom Pringle became the leading merchant near the D. L. & W. Railroad station. Hiram Croop had a store near Croop's mills, other merchants bring ; Darius Whitsell and Alexander Dodson.

Decendants of Croop are still merchants near the RR station, At one time there were two hotels, now one.

Roaring Brook was once a Post Office , as was also Gregory, which had a toll gate on the turnpike, a grist mill and stone quarry. While the Post Office is maintained near the train station, the growing village is 1/2 mile back, where several hundred people reside There are many beautiful homes in the village and it has a beautiful Methodist church and a large social hall.

This article was donated by Rose