Delmar Township
Tioga County, Pennsylvania
MAZIE SEARS BODINE
This page is part of the Tri-County Genealogy Sites by Joyce M. Tice
No Unauthorized Commercial Use may Be Made of This Material
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Delmar Township
MAZIE SEARS BODINE This page is part of the Tri-County Genealogy Sites by Joyce M. Tice No Unauthorized Commercial Use may Be Made of This Material
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THE STORY OF A LOVELY VALLEY AND THE FAMILIES THAT SETTLED IN IT MANY YEARS AGO; OF THEIR MILLS AND SCHOOLS AND EXPERIENCES; OF THE CHANGES WROUGHT IN ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS
It is about three miles from the old Pine Creek road, now route 660, to the Marsh Creek church and Roosevelt Highway. The run flows down this valley close to the hills on one side, then the other; the road crossing the brook nine times, first over a small sluice, then over narrow bridges on which one may stand and watch the polliwogs and minnows in the waters below. Not many years ago there were brook trout in the stream and wild game was abundant in the surrounding forest.
The farm at the right, as one enters the Heise Run road from Route 660 just above Tyoga Country Club, has been in the Heise family for over one hundred years, David Heise having purchased this land in 1820.
History tells us that to William Hill Wells is usually accorded the credit of being the first person to attempt to clear a farm and establish a home in what is now Delmar township. I could find no authentic account of the exact location of this farm, but it is supposed to have been somewhere near the head of Heise Run. Mr. Wells and his brother came here in 1802, but soon tired of the wilderness and returned to their home near Philadelphia. The farm was Williams's and when he left he gave it to his colored slaves, Eben and Hetty Murry, Elias and Maria Spencer and Marcus Lovitt, whom he had brought with him. With this gift of land went the priceless gift of freedom from slavery. Eben and Hetty Murry were the parents of Betty Murry who was Wellsboro's most famous caterer. Well do I remember Aunt y Betty, her cheerful smile and the happy manner in which she always greeted her acquaintances.
Between 1802 and the coming of David Heise in 1820 about thirty pioneers settled in the township. Of these I could find no one who located in this immediate vicinity. It is said the house now occupied by John Chadderdon (the old Sam Dickinson place), is over one hundred years old, so perhaps this was the next one to be purchased out this way from the small village of Wellsboro. Wellsboro was founded by Benjamin Wistar Morris and named for wife, Mary Wells Morris, a sister of William Hill Wells. Mr. Morris came to this wilderness in 1799, and I found this very interesting item about the Wellsboro post office which was established in 1808. Samuel Wells Morris, son of B. W. Morris, was the first postmaster and during that year statistical reports show that the gross receipts were $27.06 and his compensation was $8.23. (The postmaster of Wellsboro now receives a salary of $2900). The mail in these early days was carried weekly on horseback over the state road from Williamsport. One of the first mail carriers was John Sheffer, Jr., who when 13 years of age carried the mail from Williamsport to Painted Post, a distance of 79 miles. The route was through a gloomy wilderness nearly all the way. The log cabins of the settlers were few. Panthers and wolves roamed the forest and their howls frequently caused the mail boy to spur his horse and dash swiftly through the gloom. John Sheffer, Jr. was an uncle of one of Wellsboro's citizens, Francis M. Sheffer.
In 1812, Samuel W. Morris was appointed an associate judge and sat upon the bench with Judge Gibson at the opening of the first court in Wellsboro in January 1813. It was three years later that David Heise, who was born in Stralsund, northern Germany, came to America. He landed in Quebec, but soon found his way to Wellsboro and started working for Judge Morris. In 1820 Mr. Heise purchased land in Delmar and started to clear and improve it, later building a log cabin near one of the springs that are the headwaters of the Run now bearing his name. Through the influence of Judge Morris he commenced the study of the art of surveying. He was employed by Major Flowers of Athens, Bradford County. While here he acquired the desired knowledge, Major Flowers instructing him and having him assist in surveying lands in western portions of Bradford County and eastern Tioga. Mr. Heise applied himself very industriously and was soon able to survey with accuracy and dispatch. It is said he was always too accurate in everything he did. That if ever a case was brought into court where he had been employed, his work was never questioned by the judges. Something of the qualities and character of this ambitious settler can be seen in his meticulously accurate survey notes, now the property of Register and Recorder Ernest H. Green. David Heise was first elected county surveyor in 1850, serving until 1856, and was elected again in 1865 and 1868.
In t829 David Heise married Hildah Ann Fellows, daughter of John Fellows who had come from Connecticut in 1824, and purchased a farm just over the hill back of the Heise land. On the front page of the diary by David Heise for the year 1829, his wife wrote this verse: Huldah Heise is my name, Tioga is my station, Delmar is my dwelling place and Christ is my salvation."
In 1854 Mr. Heise built a lovely white farm house to replace his log cabin. Still standing, it is now occupied by Mrs. D. W. Heise and her step-son, James Heise, a great-grandson of the builder.
The little school house on the Pine Creek road, not far above the Heise home, has always been known as the Heise school. The plot of ground on which it stands originally belonged to the Heise farm and Mr. Heise was one of the subscribers to the fund raised for the building of this school nearly 100 years ago. He cut trees on his land for some of the lumber, and helped in the actual building as he tells in his diary for 1845 about laying floors and setting windows in the school house. I was unable to find the name of the first teacher, but all three of Mr. Heise's daughters taught here, while Mrs. D. W. Heise taught six terms in the Heise school. It is one of the oldest school houses in Delmar township and is still in use. During the past winter (1930-40) the ringing of the bell in the small cupola has called to their seats the 15 scholars attending this school. When a child about 4 or 5 years old, I came to this school house on Sunday afternoons with my father, who at that time was superintendent of the Sunday school held here.
In 1878 a saw mill was built, just below the Heise school and well '#~ back from the road. It was operated by Russell and Avery, was run by steam power and produced an average of about one and a quarter million feet annually. This was W. 0. Russell who married Maria Heise, daughter of David Heise, and at that time lived in the house now occupied by Fred L. Smith. Hemlock timber was brought off large tracts of land in this vicinity. The logs were brought to this mill and the bark taken to the tannery at Stokesdale. The mill set far back from the road and great piles of logs filled the space between the mill and the road. William Bodine told me he hauled logs to this mill 60 years ago. Besides the saw mill, Mr. Russell also operated side of the road. Ce,tainly this was a busy place in those days, but nothing is now left to tell where the mills once stood.
Before these mills were built a small saw mill was situated about half way down the run. A dam formed the mill pond and the mill was run by water power. It was owned and operated by George Wilcox who lived on the place now occupied by George Dobbs. This is where we now loiter along the way to better view the flowers grown by the Lady of the House. Her gardens are gay with many bright blossoms from early Spring until late Fall.
Farther down the run there stood about 50 years ago, what was known as Noelk's Wood Machine. It was owned by Henry Noelk, Sr., and run by horse power. A team was hitched to a sweep and walked around and around, thus creating the power to run the machine. This one arrangement was used to operate thrashing machines and hay presses when they first came into use. Noelk's Wood Machine cut logs of all sizes into lengths suitable for the cook or heating stoves, and longer ones to be burned in the fire places.
Many years ago Horton Matson discovered, on land owned by Addison C. Boyden, what he thought was lime rock. He had this rock analyzed and, finding it would produce lime, built a kiln near the junction of the Bodine and Heise roads. This kiln was operated for several years by Addison Boyden. Webster says, "A lime kiln is a furnace in which certain rocks are exposed to a strong heat and reduced to lime." Another kiln was built later by Eugene Harding on the opposite side of the Heise run road. This was run for only a short time. Remains of both kilns, partially over grown with ferns and woods flowers, can still be seen.
When the Heise Run road was first built, it went straight ahead through the farm where A. Stadler now lives, then over the back of Capt. C. F. Russell's home, keeping along the hillside to the W. T. Derbyshire place. Near here it dipped down into the road now in use, but farther down the Run turned onto the hill at the left and then came back down a very steep pitch and crossed the Run near where Roy M. Harding now lives.
The early settlers along this road were, first David Heise. When he brought his young wife to the log cabin here, before the fireplace was completed, she did the cooking beside a large pine stump near the cabin door, using this stump for a table on which to set her pots and pans. She set the bread and when it was ready to bake carried it down the road to her neighbor's, Mrs. Dickinson's home a distance of a mere 2 miles or so. Mn the cellar of this house was a large brick oven where the bread was baked. John Chadderdon now occupies this house.
Once on her way home Mrs. Heise met a large black bear. I was told that the remains of this oven were still here when John fought the property a year or so ago.
The next place down the Run was owned a little later by Philip Cross, a colored man. With him lived his daughter Emmaline and her son, Phil Cross, Jr., and at one time his three grandsons, the Blackburn boys, also made this their home. This story is still told about Philip Cross: He once caught a deer in his yard and while struggling with it called, "Emmaline! Emmaline! bring the musket quick!" "Shall I bring the powder and shot too, father," asked Emmaline. "Nevah min' the powdah and shot too, hurry wi' the musket!" called back her excited father. Once Mr. Cross sent Bennie Blackburn to town with the ox team, "Buck and Bright". Each ox had a tie rope wound around his horns, but Bennie tied only one ox, "Bright". After a while Buck laid down, and some kind-hearted man, thinking he couldn't get up with the yoke on, unyoked him. Buck, not liking strangers, jumped up and ran toward home. Bennie Blackburn, standing up the street, saw Buck coming. He tried to catch him and just managed to grasp his tail. It was spring and very muddy. Away they went, splashing through the mud with Bennie leaping and bounding along, both hands firmly gripping the tail of the fugitive ox. But Buck soon tired of this, so before they reached the West End bridge Bennie, running ahead of him, caught him by the horns, brought him back and yoked him beside his mate. I was not told, but I hope Bennie then tied Buck as well as Bright to the hitching rail.
DeForest Bowen located on the next farm nearly 100 years ago, coming here from New York state. Three generations of the Bowen family lived here, Galusha Bowen carrying on with the farm after the death of his father, while Will Bowen, son of Galusha, was born and always lived here. The house is now unoccupied. The first home was a log cabin built near another where the Bowen's neighbor, W. T. Derbyshire, then lived, and the two families lived side by side for several years. Later bother built new homes a little farther apart. Chester and John L. Robinson, who in early days were two of the most prominent and enterprising citizens of Wellsboro each married in Hartwick, N. Y., a sister of DeForest Bowen.
The Derbyshire farm has been in that family for 100 years. William T. Derbyshire purchased it in 1830?. He was a harness maker, having learned his trade in Utica, N. Y. At first he cleared and improved his land at the same time working at his trade in Wellsboro. Later he devoted all his time to the farm.a Game was plentiful and in those days the settlers hunted deer with dogs, sometimes the dogs going without their masters. Once a deer, having been chased by dogs, came into the Derbyshire yard and dropped exhausted there. Mrs. Derbyshire, practical like all settlers, killed it with a butcher knife, cutting it's throat, and thus providing meat for the family larder. William Derbyshire, son of W. T. Derbyshire, born in 1848, spent his entire life upon the homestead farm, and his daughter, Mrs. E. J. Tuttle (Mary 0.) now owns this place, which is unoccupied at this writing.
I think the first one to settle on the next place was George Wilcox who had the small saw-mill there. It was then bought by John Russell, who before this lived in a log cabin farther down the Run, where his son Harry H. Russell, was born. After buying the place of George Wilcox, Mr. Russell remodeled the house, making it larger and more comfortable. John Russell's wife was Marian Derbyshire, daughter of W. T. Derbyshire. In this house Capt. C. F. Russell and his sisters were born. They played and fished in Heise run, their mother allowing them to go down the stream as far as Noelk's Wood Machine, which before this had stopped operations. and up as far as the "old stub". Though this old stub has fallen over it is still there.
Just below John Russell's the road climbed the hill at the left. There were three farms along the road on this hilltop. Much earlier Henry Smith had settled on the hill, but farther up the Run, and had a private road to his place. This house is still here and occupied at the present time.
The first place on the hill along the township road was owned by Charles Smith, son of Henry Smith. There are no buildings lift on this farm. The next one belonged to Frank Derbyshire, son of W. T. Derbyshire and the father of George and Frank Derbyshire of Wellsboro, and Sarah, wife of Leland Smith, now living on Route 660 near the head of Heise Run. This Derbyshire farm is now owned and occupied by Mrs. Mary Wilson.
The last place on the hill was Charles Derbyshire's, another son of W. T. Derbyshire. The house on this place is gone but the barn remains. (Torpy owns) It is at this point that the old road came back down the hill, crossing the Run near where Roy M. Harding now lives. His father, Eugene Harding, bought this place in 1880, about a year after the new road was opened. A man who later bought a farm on the steep hillside described it by saying he had bought a farm but there was so much land he had to "stack" it.
Next below Eugene Hardings is the old Losinger place. (Harding girl married this Losinger). The house has been deserted for several years and looks as if it "soon would fall and hide its face". (Torpy property)
The Torpy farm is the last one on the Heise Run road. Luther Torpy settling here many years ago. He married Mary M. Boyden, daughter of Addison Boyden, Sr. To them three children were born. Mrs. Torpy lived to be 90 year of age, staying on with her son Leon, after her husband's death. Max Torpy, son of Leon Torpy is now living on the homestead farm.
The new road was first finished down as far as the W. T. Derbyshire place, and later built on down where it is now situated. Mr. Heise mentions this road in his diary for 1876 and later in the one for 1879. I was told that the last time the upper part of the old road was used was in April of the latter year.
There are four farms on the Heise Run road on which have lived, consecutively three or four generations of the same family. The Torpy, Derbyshire, Bowen and Heise farms. This seems unusual for the short istance of three miles.
The farm across the main road from the Heise place was settled, and owned for several years by Edwin Matson Sr. This was one of the largest farms in Delmar township. It now belongs to the Tyoga Country Club. The house was built about 80 years ago. It is said Mr. Matson built this large farm-house that his family might have every comfort possible in those days. Each one of his children had a room of his own, there were nine rooms on the first floor, eight above, many closets, two large halls, and four stairways. There was also a large attic and a cellar under the entire house, a brick fire-place in the kitchen, and a large brick oven. In this oven a fire was built and when it had burned down, the coals were raked out and the baking done, the oven staying hot for a long time. Mr. Matson had interests in the lumber industry, not only in Tioga County but also in Northumberland and York Counties while at one time he spent 14 months lumbering in Florida. For several years John Russell and his family lived on this farm, Mrs. Matson staying with them while her husband looked after his many interests in the lumber business. (See Photo of the Matteson House)
Old Heise Run is full of interesting stories. One of these relates the strange experience of the oldest Blackburn boy. This is the story as it was told to me: After obtaining an education at the Heise school, young Blackburn went to Baltimore to work in a hotel. He became acquainted with a Negress who also worked at the hotel and they fell in love and were married. Both were thrifty and had saved money, so they decided to go West and start a business for themselves.
They opened a restaurant in Denver and did very well, but Mrs. Blackburn looked after the shekels and also, being jealous of her husband, made life miserable for him. He made up his mind to leave and boarded a train for New York. Here he took a boat for Africa, putting as much distance as possible between himself and his wife, whom he never saw again. As it happened he jumped out of the frying pan into the fire". Landing in Africa he went far back into the country and stopped at a negro village. Young Blackburn was a large, good-looking negro. The villagers liked him too well and their chief chose him for a son-in-law! They watched him so he could not escape and he married the chief's daughter.
But, the story goes, this life didn't suit Blackburn, and he got more and more homesick for America, so once again he made plans to run away from a wife. Cautiously he made his preparations, hiding a bullet at a time as he could, and when the chance came he took a gun and the ammunition he had hidden and, walking as fast as he could, finally, after ten days, reached the coast. Here he waited for a boat, but luckily was not found by his father-in-law, the chief. So at last he reached America again and came back to Heise run. He brought back with him some curios from Africa among them an ostrich egg, and all the friends and neighbors came to his grandfather's home to see this large egg. Soon after this young Blackburn returned to Baltimore and is said to have died of pneumonia there.
The house on the farm now owned by Louis Grosjean is very old. It was built by John Fullwood, Sr., grandfather of Postmaster Charles Fullwood of Wellsboro. Mr. Fullwood came here in the early 50's and while living on the farm, also kept a small general store in Wellsboro. When Mr. Fullwood came with a team of horses, his neighbors thought he must be very well off, for at that time they had oxen, but no horses. This farm was purchased in 1858 by Lucius L. Russell, grandfather of Capt. C. F. Russell. Mrs. Russell continued to live with her son George, on the farm after her husband's death. She was known to all the younger generation, whether relatives or not as Grandma Russell . Later she moved to Wellsboro and kept a small grocery in her home on West Avenue. The spring on the farm is one of the largest in the township. Its waters, joining those of a spring on Fred Smith's farm and the water of the spring beside which David Heise built his log cabin, and the beginning of Heise Run. For many years a trough by the roadside, filled and over-flowing with this sparkling cold water, furnished a refreshing drink to thirsty animals as well as all passersby. The children from the Heise school have always brought their drinking water from this spring. Nessmuk Place, our home, was originally part of the Russell Farm.
The house on the Stadler place is also very old. Edward Grosjean having built it about 100 years ago. His son, Sirquet, father of Louis Grosjean lived here until his death.
Just a short distance nearer Wellsboro is the farm where Addison Boyden, Sr., located about the time Edward Grosjean settled here. The first house built by Addison Boyden was taken down several years ago, the present and larger one having previously been built. Alfred Boyden, son of Addison Boyden lived here for many years. This farm is now owned by John Chadderdon, who at the present has a tenant occupying the place.
The old road turned off from the main one before reaching the Grosjean house (now the Stadler place). Oh, the tales this road and the old house could tell! The coming of the first white settler, others following the building of log cabins and later the lovely new houses, some of them still having a dignified and aristocratic air. The plodding feet on the road, the ox team going by. The arrival of horses, the farm team, or the high stepping driving horse. The jingle of bells, and happy voices of the sleighing parties in winter, and last the coming of the automobile. The happy gatherings in the old homes on Thanksgiving Day, on Christmas Day, or for a family reunion. Smiling faces and gay laughter around the festive board.
Sad gatherings too, when loved ones had passed on and were carried to their last resting place. So many, many happenings both glad and sad, the old houses and the road have witnessed.
As we never kept a horse and a carriage, it was not until several years after the automobile came to Wellsboro, and we were the proud possessor of our first one that we discovered the beautiful road down the Heise Run. Since then it has been one of our favorite drives. But we never realized it had such an interesting history until I began this article. Probably many more incidents, both historical and humorous might be obtained. At first this was intended to be a nature article, but it grew and grew, almost as fast as Jack's famous bean stalk.
For some time after we first began driving this way there were many elder bushes on the banks near the head of the Run. Their creamywhite blossoms adding to the beauty of the roadside, and later the berries providing food for the birds. Where the road first crossed the Run these bushes nearly covered this small stream. The catbirds, song sparrows and different species of warblers loved this place. Here the tall Joe Pye weed lifted its purple bloom among the elder bushes, while the bee balm, jewel weed and wild asters grew luxuriantly. Wherever we passed by I always looked for the birds and flowers, so one can imagine my dismay when we discovered these shrubs had been cut, this beauty spot and place for the birds destroyed. Why does the Highway Department set out trees, shrubs and vines to hold the banks and beautify the roadsides, then allow their employees to cut the shrubs Mother Nature has already provided for the same purpose? As the shrubs on the banks of this road did not obstruct a driver's view, why cut them? It seems to me the head of the Department should inspect these by-roads and give the "Man with the Scythe" strict instructions to leave such place alone. They add so much to the pleasure of the passer-by and also furnish food and shelter for the birds.
Farther down the Run one will find, in early spring, the hepaticas opening their dainty blooms. They grow profusely beneath the trees on the banks by the wayside. The forget-me-not grows in larger masses or smaller clumps, here and there along the run, close to the water's edge. One will find these lovely blue flowers in June and July. There are many ferns and wild geraniums, while the bright and red tousled head of the bee balm peeps above the tall grasses, and in autumn the wild asters open their starry blossoms and yellow plumes of the goldenrod along theory.
From the branches above our heads come the calls of many birds. Among them the vireo's "you see it? you know it? you hear me?" and the softly uttered "dee-dee, dee-dee" of our black capped chickadee. While on the ground the over-bird scratches among the leaves for insects and sings "tee-char, tee-cher, tee-char". Once near the road at the head of the Run we saw several kilideer, while often a king-fisher flies up and down the stream, sometimes stopping to fish for minnows.
There were many hemlocks, my favorite of the evergreens in these woods, The new light-green shoots that cover this tree in early summer are as lovely as flowers. And is there any other evergreen more beautiful then a large hemlock with many small brown cones hanging from all its branches?
We were sorry when the owner of some of this land began cutting the trees, so, of course were very glad to hear that one of our citizens had bought this tract. His purpose being to keep the beauty of this drive, the woods, wild flowers and home for the birds, intact for the people of Wellsboro and vicinity to enjoy. Last summer Mr. H. C. Young purchased land on both sides of the road one-half mile in extent. His intention was to give this tract to the State, hoping it would be cleaned out and perhaps a small park made here. But at this time the gift was not accepted, though Mr. Young thinks eventually it will be. Meanwhile no more trees will be cut in these woods, the ones left will probably grow larger. This woodland drive is still beautiful and will be more so when the felled trees and brush are all removed. Many people who love the Heise run road will be happy to learn of this purchase by H. C. Young.
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