Wayne County PA Migrations

This information is from excerpts of emails on the Wayne-List compiled by..........

Excerpts from Article by Donna Bingham Munger in New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. 139, 1985 pp. 112-125 entitled: "Following Connecticut Ancestors to Pennsylvania: Susquehanna Company Settlers."  The Susquehanna Company was formed to sell the land in PA that was claimed by Connecticut. The company served a quasi governmental role and kept a wide variety of records. Though it is not always easy to follow, the article describes the types and location of various records on settlers that still exist, including names of very early northern PA settlers.

The "Susquehanna Papers" (the proceedings of the Susquehanna Co.) have been published by the Luzerne County Historical Society (nee the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society), and we have some of the volumes at the Wayne County Historical Society. However, the Susquehannah Company operated primarily in the Wyoming Valley in the early days, and unfortunately I don't know of anywhere to find the records of the Delaware Company, which operated in Wayne County. Does anyone know if they still exist?

After the Wyoming massacre, a few of the settlers did end up staying in Wayne County, but most of the survivors kept going until they were back in Connecticut.

[By the way, members of NEHGS now have access to the Register online - worth the price to join.]

There were two "Wyoming Valley Massacres" in the Susquehanna Valley. The first was by Indians in 1757, during the French and Indian War. The massacre is described in an written by Thomas Pattison in 1782. From the above article, " While a resident of Duchess County, NY, he (Abraham UTTER) he maintained his family respectively and gave his children a fair education; his business was principally tilling land on shares - he having no land of his own, and as a freehold could not purchased in the old settlement by any other means he had in prospect. He and several of his neighbors similarly situated came to a settled conclusion to migrate to a new country - where land was cheap and there form a settlement and in perfect reciprocity cherish each others interest.

The place agreed upon and designated for their settlement was in the State of Pennsylvania, in the neighborhood of Wyoming, on the Susquehanna River... This year (1749) the association consisted of 11 families... after many difficulties... they succeeded in making a train of 17 teams-principally oxen and 47 cows... Mr. Utter's family consisted of a wife and 8 children... they reached their destination on April 14, 1750. 

Thomas Quick was taken prisoner during this attack, but escaped. The second massacre occurred during the American Revolution, the valley settlers were attacked (1778) by Loyalist commander John Butler and a party of Tories and Iroquois allies; nearly 400 men, women, and children were killed.

The massacre is described in Thomas Campbell's poem, Gertrude of Wyoming (1809). Butler and his allies then proceeded north into NY and repeated the massacre in Cherry Valley, near Cooperstown. I apologize for this note getting a little long. It started out as only a brief statement, but the details kept coming forth.

Gold Rush

San Francisco Gold Rush Chronology 1846-1849 October 21, 1849 Pioneer Nathan Spear died at age 47. He had heart disease. Spear Street was later named for him. Rev. O. C. Wheeler baptized Col. Thomas Kellam by immersion in the waters of San Francisco Bay.

Hutchinson, Kas. Dec. 13, 1887" FRIEND FRANK: Sitting in the store of our mutual friend Thos. R. Bishop, a few minutes since I picked up the PRESS and seeing your notice to the effect that you would publish a list of former residents next week, I seize my pen to say unto you that there resides in this, Reno county, Kas. Rush Kellam, formerly of Smallwood, farmer, lately married to a Miss Jones, in this city, 0. P. Taylor, real estate agent, from Fox, lately married to a Miss Noble, George Foltz of northwest Wade or Grove, miller in the water mill, lately married to Miss Winslow, T. R. Bishop, clothing merchant as you know, A.L. Calvin with Bishop, Elmer Brewer, foreman of the Daily News and your humble servant as at the head here show, "Rugg & Alexander, real estate, loan and insurance. Money to loan on chattel security, rooms 5 and 6 over Forsha's bank." Please send me a copy of the paper of 21 and 28 and if I have money enough left after Christmas, I will send for one year's subscription. Wishing you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and the Press abundant success, with very kind regards I am truly your friend, W.C. Alexander. P. S. Will H. Nunn, once with John G. Bliss, is now in the harness business in Pratt Center, Kas., and has grown rich. R.B. Stayton, is conductor on the A.T. & S.F. Ry headquarters at Newton, Kas. W.C. A.

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