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The maps in the booklet need to be presented fairly large for you to see the detail. That means that those of you with web-tv or dial up or other slow or low memory connections will have trouble loading them. I can do nothing about that. Someday you will all be on faster connections. I will put them on a separate page so they will not slow the loading of this one. These maps are an important part of the booklet and putting them up in a size that will load fast will lose their detail and labels. If you can't load them go to a library or a friend with a faster Internet connection.
Brookfield Township
Brookfield Township was originally a part of an immense tract of wilderness located in North Central Pennsylvania. It was west of the Proclamation Line of 1763 and was therefore Indian land forbidden to the white settlers. It had once been a part of the Delaware Indian homeland but as the result of some long ago Indian War was claimed by the Five Nations.
Part of this tract, a strip located between the 41st and 42nd Parallels, was claimed by Connecticut by right of her Royal Charter from the English King, it extended from the present N.Y.-Penna Line south to an East-West line 69 miles to the south. Connecticut had purchased this tract from the Delawares by the Treaty of Albany back in 1756 but the Five Nations maintained that the Delawares had no right to sell. The legality of the Connecticut claim was questioned by Pennsylvania and soon the Pennamitte Wars began. A Connecticut company called the Susquehannah Development Co. was formed and they divided what is now Tioga County into townships of five square miles each and what is now Brookfield Township was divided between the Townships of Lindsay and Dyerstown.
After the Revolutionary War the Five Nations who had fought with the British were forced at the Treaty of Fort Stanwix on Oct. 23rd 1871 to sell to the State of Pennsylvania for the amount of $5,000 500 square miles of lands covering the present Counties of McKean, Potter, most of Tioga and part of Bradford and on the following January the Delawares and Wyandotts relinquished their claims on this territory for $2,000 and this purchase was added to the County of Northumberland and vaguely shown on early maps as the Magnolia Hills.
The Decree of Trenton nullified the Connecticut claims to this region and set up a Civil Commission to settle disputed land titles but the Commission acted in a matter of policy rather than of justice and favored the Pennsylvania claimants but Connecticut speculators ignored the Commission and sold lands here as late as 1803.
Lycoming Township was created in 1785 and it included all of Tioga north of Pine Creek and parts of Potter and Bradford Counties. In 1795 this tract became Tioga Township of Lycoming County. In 1804 Tioga became a county with two townships Delmar and Tioga. In 1814 Deerfield Township was taken from Delmar, in 1821 Westfield Township was taken from Deerfield and in 1827 Brookfield Township was taken from Westfield.
The State of Pennsylvania offered for sale four million acres of this territory in 1785.
In 1787 the Ellicott-Porter survey crew established the New York Pennsylvania boundary line on the 42nd parallel, they cut a trail through the forest and soon a trickle of settlers followed this trail and made clearings here and there. The surveyors left records that showed that they remained for several days at the old 109th milestone waiting for supplies, they left the old rock bearing the date and latitude there beside Troups Creek, as far as I know it is the only such marker in existence. I believe that soon after a few settlers came to Brookfield for when the permanent settlers came in 1800 they found in several different locations unmistakable signs of former occupation.
[ILLUSTRATION] The Devil’s Darning Needle. An unidentified artifact found in North Creek made of polished stone about 40 in. in length and weighs about thirty pounds.
The surveyors must have made some land locations also for shortly after Warrant 73 was purchased by James Swan, Warrant was purchased by Abraham Raguel and Warrant 902 was purchased by Wm Hines. These men were speculators from Philadelphia and these warrants were located on Troups Creek.
On Oct. 23rd 1792 the remaining lands of Brookfield were purchased by agents of the Bingham Estate but soon after Warrants Nos. 1835, 1838, 1866, 1845, 1861 and 1862 seemed to have passed to the possession of John Adlum surveyor for the Bingham Estate. I don’t understand the setup between Adlum and the Estate, the early settlers made their purchases and payments to the Bingham office but there were two maps there, one showing the Adlum holdings and the other showing the Bingham lands. With the exception of several choice tracts of white pine held by Bingham nearly all the first settlers bought their farms from Adlum. John Adlum was father-in-law of Henry Hatch Dent who founded Brookland Pa. and he is buried there.
It would seem that Adlum was anxious to dispose of his Brookfield holdings for he gave the settlers such liberal terms and was so lenient in the matter of Payments due him that soon the northern part of Brookfield was crowded with settlers while other parts of the country were still wilderness.
And so in the year of 1800 what was to become Brookfield Township was claimed by Pennsylvania as an unorganized part of Lycoming County and also claimed by Connecticut as a part of Westmoreland County. Two censuses were taken that year, one by the Federal Government and the other one by the State of Pennsylvania and neither census listed any residents of Brookfield.
Also in 1800 the State Road was built from Newberry Pa. to Wellsboro, on to Knoxville and on up Troups Creek to the 109th milestone on the State Line, the viewers found no settlers on Troups Creek but they mentioned a clearing on the Fitch place. This road made an entry to Brookfield from the south and almost immediately settlers followed it here.
When the first settlers came to Brookfield they found two Indian encampments, one on the Grantier place and the other at Mink Hollow each occupied by a dozen Indians more or less. The old Hilltown Road, now North Road, was said to have followed an old Indian trail.
In 1817 Dan Robarts, son-in-law of old John Joseph, was killed by the Indians during a dispute over the theft of an iron kettle and during the summer of 1828 the school was closed by the threat of so many Indians prowling in the woods, small children were forbidden to leave the home clearings. As the white population increased the Indians gradually left and the last Indian was seen in 1853 although several half-breeds lived here all their lives.
And so when Brookfield became a Township in 1827 the section down on the Troupstown Branch of the Cowanesque (Troups Creek) was occupied by the families of Schoonovers, Seeleys, Georges, Ives, Eddys and Dr. Bonney, a little later in 1831 Ethan Eddy built a store and sawmill there and the settlement was known as Eddytown.
Back in 1820 a village called Hilltown was established at the forks of what is now North Road and was inhabited by the families of Hills, Bowmans, Josephs, Cadys, Spragues, Moreys, Richmonds and old Dr. Bacon. There was an ashery and a blacksmith shop there and later a church and cemetery.
The settlement at Mink Hollow (Brookfield Village) consisted of the families of Browns, Seeleys, Lewises, Bakers, Parkers, Metcalfs and Simmons, Wm Simmons ran a store there.
The Dan’s Brook settlement was made up of the families of Planks, Josephs, Mascho, and Metcalfs. And these families with the exception of two families living on the North Branch of the Cowanesque, (North Fork) were the total population of the Township amounting to 176 whites and about 20 Indians.
In 1820 a State Road was built up the North Fork, it followed the stream and turned off to Potter County, at this time a man named Pierce ran a sawmill at the Gardner Bridge and Noah Sellick lived farther on upstream. After the road was opened settlers soon came. They were the families of Hammonds, Dibbles, Cadys, Farnhams, Woods, Kings, Rumseys and Robbins.
Generally speaking the forests of North Brookfield were hardwoods, maple, beech etc. and as they had no value then these hardwoods were cut down and burned and their ashes were sold to the asheries for $90 a ton, there the ashes were distilled, leached and evaporated producing a product known as "pearl ash or black salts."
These hardwood forests were the natural habitat of large herds of deer and also the predatory animals, wolves and panthers that lived on them. This superb hunting country was the reason that so many Indians remained here until the supply of game was exhausted. The southern part of the Township was covered with dense forests of pine and hemlock, Walker & Lathrop started cutting pine on the North Fork in 1828, later they lumbered in Rose Valley and Skinner Hollow. Lattimer & Winton lumbered off a tract of unusually large white pine on the ridge between the California and Brace Hollow, years ago there were old pine stumps there measuring ten feet in diameter. Lovell & Hoffman lumbered off pine in the southwest part of the Township. The early settlers knew that pineland soils were barren and chose their farms in the hardwood section.
Meanwhile the Township’s population was increasing, the census of 1840 listed 820 residents although several Hilltown families the Loceys, Spragues, Moreys and Richmonds had moved to cheaper lands in the Allegheny Reserve in New York State. Several water power "up and down" sawmills were running, E. P. Eddy’s at Eddytown, Sylvanus Gardner’s in the edge of Potter County, Ansel Purple’s on Purple Brook, John Gardner’s on the North Fork and Wm. George’s on the California.
Titus Ives had opened a store at the State Line back in 1816, E. P. Eddy ran a store at Eddytown, Seeley & George opened a large store at the Parallel intersection on Troups Creek, Wm. Simmons ran a store near Brookfield and the large Gardner store opened there in 1841. There were many new settlers on North Road, the Owens, Hunts, Rudes, Fullers, Gilkeys, and Seeleys. On South Road were the families of Holmes, Fraziers, Gilkeys and Seeleys and down on Purple Brook lived the families of Fraizers, Stiles, Fisks, Osbournes, Purples, Gilkeys, Clarks, Millers, Eddys and Fisks.
In 1852 the Seagers Brothers, Martin and Henry built a water power sawmill back of the Schmidt house, gold was discovered while digging the millrace and the name of the valley was changed from Dan’s Brook to Little California. The lumbermen built a cluster of shacks near this mill, their names were Tubbs, Mattisons, Lewis, Richardson and Cottlief.
New settlers on the Plank Road were Planks, Murrarys, Metcalfs, Macks, Hunts, Richardsons and Lamberts. On the other crossroads were the families of Atkins, Kilburns, Bushes, Seeleys, Thomas, Davis, Hammonds and Lopers. No one lived in the valleys of Rose Valley, Skinner Hollow, Brace Hollow, Hancock Hollow and Dibble Hollow.
The building of the churches at Brookfield and Austinburg will be told in the village section of this narrative but it seems necessary to mention the religious activities of the Township prior to the building of the churches.
The first recorded church services were held in John Joseph’s house in 1813, Rev. Thomas Magee was the pastor and the members were Ira and Amos Baker and their wives, Sam Baker, John and Wm. Joseph and their wives, Mr. and Mrs. Azel Nobles, Hannah and Deborah Joseph, and Curtis Cady.
In 1826 the Rev. Nathan Fellows a Methodist minister held revival meetings in the Curtis Cady house, many were converted and gradually the congregation divided; one group at Brookfield headed by Ira Baker and the other at Austinburg led by Wm. George.
The First Baptist Church was organized at the Wade Schoolhouse on Grantier’s Corner May 25th 1848. Elder Raymond was hired as pastor and in 1854 they built the old Baptist Church at Hilltown Corner and in 1884 they built the Baptist Church at Sylvester.
The Free Will Baptist Church was organized at the home of Sheldon Atkins on South Road in 1840 by Rev. Phillip White and the original members were Sheldon and Martha Atkins, Richard and Susan Beard, Daniel Anders, Chester Seeley, John and Lucinda Owens and Clarissa Joseph all of the South Road neighborhood. In 1860 they built the Baptist Church at Austinburg.
The hardwood forest soil of northern Brookfield seems to have been unsuited to the growing of wheat but corn and buckwheat grew to huge yields and provided the settlers with a bountiful supply of staple grains. Sheep raising was the principal farming occupation although a few farmers kept cows and made butter to sell.
During 1854 three families came here from Canada, Bushes, Kilburns and Boulios, most of them became prosperous farmers and lumbermen.
Sometime about 1835 an outlaw gang called the "Rosenkrantz Gang" came here from New York State and caused much trouble for the local residents, legal proceedings against them were futile for they fled across the State Line when the local officers tried to enforce the laws. Finally the local people became aroused and one night when the outlaws came home from a foray their house was burning, a few personal belongings were piled in the road and attached was a note warning them to leave the country at once before a more drastic misfortune befell them, they went.
This period of growth and prosperity was ended by the Civil War, from a population of about 800, 250 men served in the Army at one time or another, lumbering came to a standstill for the lack of manpower and the boys and old men worked the farms. On Dec. 23rd 1862 a special election was held to enact a Special Tax to pay bounties to encourage enlistments in the Union Army.
After the war the hemlock lumbering began and the Township enjoyed its peak of population, 1020 in the census of 1890, and prosperity. No large lumber companies were involved but most of the residents of the southern part of the Township had more or less logs and bark to sell. Five large sawmills and a dozen or small portables were sawing and logs were hauled to mills on the Cowanesque. Most of the bark was hauled to the railhead at Elkland. Many families, not settlers, followed the lumbering operation here and some of them proved to be outlaws for a wave of horse stealing broke out.
Meanwhile the residents of the north part of the Township were busy improving and building new sets of buildings taking advantage of the cheap lumber. Sheep raising had gradually died out and more dairy cows were kept, butter was still made but creameries and cheese factories were built to use the increased production of milk. Some of the larger farms produced tobacco as a cash crop.
During the late 1870’s a crackpot organization called the Farmer’s Alliance organized chapters at Brookfield, Sylvester and Austinburg. They were active in politics and the election of 1890 was bitterly contested, the Farmer’s Alliance vs. both major political parties. The Farmer’s Alliance was badly defeated and it folded reappearing soon as the non-political Patrons of Husbandry (Grange).
An aftermath of this election was the building of the election hall by the County. Previously the schoolhouses had been used for all kinds of meetings, political meetings, funerals, camp meetings etc. The South road Schoolhouse had been used as a meeting place by the Farmer’s Alliance and also as the Township Election Hall. As the result of the hard feelings caused by the election of 1890 the School Board passed a resolution forbidding the use of the schoolhouses for any other than school purposes. Tioga County countered with a Court Order allowing the schoolhouse to be used as the election place for the election of 1892 and the following year Elmer Holmes built the Election Hall on the schoolhouse lot for the County.
By the year 1900 dairy cows had replaced sheep raising as the main source of farm income, hemlock lumbering was still going on and many new farms were cleared from the hemlock slashing in the formerly unsettled parts of the Township, Rose Valley, Dibble Hollow, Skinner Hollow and Brace Hollow.
Shortly after 1905 lumbering came to an end and many families of lumbermen followed the sawmills to other lumber jobs and the Township population dropped to 750 by 1910. During the summer of 1909 the first telephone lines were built in the Township.
About 1912 a new market for milk appeared, condenseries were built at Westfield, Elkland and Whitesville, the price of milk increased sharply and the old creameries and cheese factories closed down.
During World War I many farmers raised tobacco and potatoes as cash crops but soon the post-war depression came and many small farms were forced out of business and the Township population dropped to 650 by 1930. The loss of population resulted in a decrease in the number of school children and this fact caused some of the Township schools to close. About this time the State raised the standards of education and this coupled with the decreased number of tax payers caused a sharp increase in the school tax millage and soon (caused) the School Board to become in debt and financially embarrassed and in desperation they accepted State Appropriations coming indirectly from tax increases.
The Board of Supervisors too found themselves in the same predicament, the State took over the maintenance of all Township roads for two years then returned about half of these roads to the Township and gave the municipalities subsides coming from the tax on liquid fuels. As time went on the State enacted a general sales tax to pay the School Appropriations and taxes went up and subsides went up in a vicious circle from which there was no escape and gradually Brookfield and many other municipalities lost their independence and became dependent on the State.
In 1930 the North Penn Electric Co. built a power line up Troups Creek and in 1937 the R.E.A. electrified the remainder of the Township.
During the 1930’s fluid milk plants came to this part of the country and the increase in the price of milk forced the condenseries to go out of business. About this time several deep gas wells were drilled in the northern part of the Township but no large producers were found. The Township population had dropped to about 500 and it seemed that the smaller farms were unable to contend with the increase in taxes and the cost of producing fluid milk.
These abandoned farms soon grew up to brush and the deer herds that had been nearly extinct for years increased and soon deer hunting became a popular sport and by 1940 hunting camps had replaced the farmhouses in Rose Valley, Skinner Hollow, Brace Hollow, Hancock Hollow and Dibble Hollow. During the period from 1940 to 1960 many farmers retired or sold out and found jobs in industry.
Teams of economic experts from Harrisburg made surveys and decided that Brookfield and all other North-Central Pennsylvania was economically unfitted for anything but recreational purposes, that since the lumber was cut and the coal was mined this section had been unable to pay its share of the State’s financial burden and their solution was to spend enough money here for recreational purposes until this part of the country’s income would enable it to become self-supporting at least. I predict that as soon as the present generation of farmers die off farming in Brookfield will come to an end and the Township will grow up to brush and become a hunting ground.
The Villages
As I mentioned before Hilltown was the first village in the Township, its life span extended from 1810 until about 1860. Elihu Hill was the pioneer settler but he soon moved away. Godfrey Bowman came to the Lester Hunt place in 1814 and built a house there also used as an inn and a blacksmith shop down on the corner. John Joseph settled on the Mack place and he built an ashery at the foot of Potash Hill. Dr. Ethan Bacon settled on the D. Frank place and lived there until his death in 1841. The old Bacon Cemetery was established down at the forks of the creek and burials there date back to 1814.
The Dr. Geo Northrop house at Hilltown the last surviving building there.
John Joseph the old Revolutionary soldier and Godfrey Bowman hero of the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813 are buried there.
The First Baptist Church of Brookfield (closed communion) Baptists was built on the corner in 1858. These Baptists were so strict and narrow in their views that the Church died out in 1876.
The village of Austinburg formerly known as Eddytown was founded by E. P. Eddy during the 1820’s on lands purchased by Mr. Eddy from Bedford George the old pioneer. Mr. Eddy built a house and store on the Z. Cook lot and a sawmill beside Troups Creek near the present Croft house. About this time J. B. Wakley built the Ross Bush house and Silas Seeley built the Geo. Bathrick house. In 1829 a school house was built at the Parallel junction. The Pioneer Cemetery was first used as a burial place in 1805 when Ann George, wife of old Bedford George, was buried there, later Titus Ives and E. P. Eddy each donated ¼ acre to establish this cemetery.
The Methodist Church was organized in 1862, the lot was purchased from Mr. Eddy for $50 and John Holmes built the new church for $1090. The Free Will Baptist Church was organized in 1861. John Holmes built this church also and this church and the adjoining parsonage burned in 1912. A new Church was built by Ben Morris. These churches are well kept and well attended which is unusual for rural churches and they are a credit to the community.
After the Civil War Richard Schoonover sold out to Jonas Kilburn and purchased the Eddy holdings, he built a new steam sawmill to replace the Eddy mill which had burned and he bought three lots from Biger Seeley and built a store on the corner and two houses beside it. He lived in one of these houses and his son, R. P. Schoonover, lived in the other.
The store burned in 1868 and Wm Austin built a new store building on the same site and became postmaster and storekeeper there and the new post office was named Austinburg.
Wm Austin lived in the Geo. Bathrick house, John Owens had just built the Heeter house, Wm McClure lived just north of the Baptist Church and owned a cooper shop there, C. W. Fish lived in the Potter house and ran a blacksmith shop there and there was another blacksmith shop opposite the store operated by a man named Schoonover. Royal Eddy built a new house on the Eddy lot, Wm Gilkey lived in the Miller house and Abner George had just built the H. Bathrick house. In 1885 Albert Hallock built a store building on the C. Holmes lot but he soon failed financially. The old cheese factory was built by E. Bean of Knoxville on the lot where the Grange Hall is now.
In 1893 the Austin store burned and R. P. Schoonover built a new store on the same site and became storekeeper and postmaster there, the 2nd floor of this building was used for entertainments and meetings, the Machabee Lodge Tent No. 149 met here as did the Farmer’s Alliance and its successor the Troups Creek Grange.
At this time R. P. Schoonover and Bert Schoonover lived in the houses beside the store, Sarah Gilkey lived in the Miller house, E. E. Shumway had built the Holmes house and he ran a grist mill and feed store beside South Creek just below the bridge, Wallace Cook lived in the Potter house, Wm Austin lived in the Geo. Bathrick house, J. B. Wakley lived in the R. Bush house, Rufus Cook lived in the G. Wakley house and John Owens lived in the Heeter house.
In 1900 the Penn Creamery Co. built a creamery near the Phoenix house and the old blacksmith shop was moved back from the road to make room for it. In 1905 Calvin Phoenix bought the Hallock store building and moved it up to his lot and opened a store there and the new cheese factory was built on the Hallock lot to replace the old cheese factory which had burned.
This cheese factory closed down about 1910 and the building burned in 1915. In 1906 the Shumway grist mill was washed away by a flood and E. Holmes moved to the Shumway house, Jack Bush lived in the Heeter house and Edgar Cook lived in the G. Wakley house. The Phoenix store closed down in 1920.
In 1923 Hiram (Hite) Schoonover bought the Heeter farm from the Jack Bush estate and lived there, he kept a large dairy and sold bottled milk retail in Knoxville and Westfield.
In 1927 Harve Mascho bought the Schoonover store and he lived in the Geo. Bathrick house, five years later Chas. Cole son-in-law of R. P. Schoonover owned this store and the two houses beside it, he demolished the store building and built a new store building on the same site with living quarters in the back. The Grange Hall was built in 1922 on the old cheese factory lot. About 1945 Coral Wakley bought the Cole store from the Cole heirs and Walter Johnson built a new store building on the Jonsa Kilburn place, Wm. Hansel owns it now. Austinburg was the largest and only surviving village in the Township.
Austinburg in 1905, on the left is the stage running from Knoxville to Troupsburg, standing in front of the R. P. Schoonover store. On the right is the new cheese factory, the blacksmith shop and the grist mill. In the background is the Geo. Bathrick house.
Brookfield Village
Old John Brown, a soldier of the Revolutionary War, was the pioneer settler of Brookfield Village. He came here in 1812 and built a cabin near the spring on what is known as the cheese factory lot.
Brookfield Village was first known as Brown Settlement, then as Gomorah, Mink Hollow, Brookfield Center and finally as just Brookfield. The village was built up about 1840 on the old Lewis farm. Brookfield was a busy trading center until about 1910 but its population was small. I doubt if more than a dozen families ever lived there at the same time.
By 1870 there was a hotel, two stores, a church, an ashery, a cheese factory, two blacksmith shops, a school house and about ten families. The ashery was built by the Lewis family about 1840. It stood just west of the Baker store. The cheese factory was built by Woods & McBride in 1866 and it stood near the old Brown house, later it was owned by O. Snyder. In 1880 W. J. Montanye built a creamery near the cheese factory and it ran intermittently til 1896 when the building was moved to its present location and became the Baker store.
Mr. Montanye also built the cheese factory house beside the creamery and lived there, this house burned in 1924 and two of Lee Parker’s children burned in it. Mr. Montanye also owned a lot on the south west corner of the four corners and on it were a house and blacksmith shop, Chas. Ordway, Benson King and a man named Bailley were blacksmiths there.
The Brookfield Cemetery Association was formed in 1879 and at that time there were a few graves there (mostly Hunts). Many of the old settlers who had been buried in old cemeteries in the neighborhood were buried there.
The Brookfield Methodist Church was organized in 1858, the Charter date is June 9th 1859. This church, like many other rural churches, was from the very first beset with quarrels and dissention and it is a miracle that it has been able to survive.
The old McPherson store building that until recently stood on the corner was built by David Gardner in 1841, he kept store there until 1852 when it became owned by Geo. Bacon and A. Wells was storekeeper. In 1869 it was owned by Daniel McPerson and soon it became a large general store with a stock valued at $25,000 and that was a lot of groceries in those days. The store operated under the firm names of Woods & McBride, Woods & Stansbourough, Stansbourough & McPherson, and R. R. Ramsey. Chas. Stansbourough was postmaster there from 1885 to 1887 and that year the old Lewis house later owned by Chas. Phipps and then owned by Chas. Kizer who was running a store there burned and a new house was built there later owned by W. W. Baker, Clair Porter and Spensers. Rob Ramsey bought the old store in 1888 and ran it until 1892 and then sold out to Geo. Manwarning who ran it until 1896, he was postmaster there in 1893 and "94." In 1896 Sam Moore purchased the building and Meb Baker was postmaster and storekeeper there until 1900. It stood vacant until 1903 and then was purchased by Omer Cornish who renovated the building and built living quarters upstairs. In 1908 John Moore ran the store for a year or two then Cornish returned and ran the store until 1915 and then he moved away. The building was vacant until 1921 and the Brookfield Cheese Factory Association bought it for $850, they moved in cheese making equipment and made cheese there for a short time. Then the old store stood vacant until 1959 and then was sold and torn down.
In 1853 Wm. Corwin built a hotel on the site of the Baker store. This building was a large building with a hall for entertainments and meetings on the second floor. This tavern soon became noted for drunken brawls and fighting. Charles Phipps bought this hotel in 1858 and it burned in 1869.
Brookfield Village was without a schoolhouse until 1869 when a new schoolhouse was built just south of the Don Simmons house on the west side of the road. The Brookfield Chapter of the Farmer’s Alliance was organized there in 1891 and it died out about 1895.
Some of the Brookfield post offices were located outside the village, Isaac Metcalf was postmaster on the Root farm in 1836, Dr. Bacon on North Road, Andrew Simmons on the Don Simmons place, J. P. Sleeper on the Wm. Simmons place in 1842, James Davis on the Gaylord Simmons place in 1846, Chas. Kizer in the Spenser house in 1888 and Meb Baker in the cheese factory house and later on the Meredith Simmons place. The post office was taken up in 1906.
In 1900 W. W. Baker opened a store in the old creamery building that had been moved up from the cheese factory lot, he lived in the Spenser house and later in the Sam Moore house. He built a new blacksmith shop in the site of the old ashery which in turn was built on the site of Indian Jim’s wigwam. About this time there was a house and blacksmith shop in the corner near the old store, and W. Sweet was blacksmith there, this house burned in 1914. Now all that remains of Brookfield village is the Baker store, the Church, the cemetery and three houses.
The old McPherson store after it was renovated. O. Cornish standing in front.
The picture above was taken Memorial Day 1908 of the parade that marched to the cemetery led by Baker’s Band. Baker store in the background.
The old Wm. Simmons house and store recently town down. Andrew Simmons standing in front.
The old Baker homestead the Red House now R. Mattison’s tenant house.
Sylvester
The village of Sylvester was founded by C. H. Plank in the early 1850’s. He moved house and all, down from Plank Hill and located opposite the swamp, at that time a pond. On the cheese factory site he built a grist and shingle mill. In 1892 E. A. Bean started a cheese factory in this building later operated by O. Snyder and still later the local dairymen ran it as a cooperative. In 1880 S. B. Plank son of old C. H. Plank built a store building now used as the Grange Hall and was store keeper and postmaster there until 1886. The post office was named Sylvester in honor of old Sylvester Plank the old pioneer. In 1886 Chas. Meade bought the store, added living quarters and was storekeeper and postmaster there until the post office was taken up in 1906. The Sylvester Grange bought this building in 1921 and it is the only surviving building in Sylvester. In 1879 Peter Woodruff built a blacksmith shop opposite the store and worked his trade there until 1882 when he sold out to Wm. Meade. He lived in the old C. H. Plank house. Sometime about 1870 Homer Gibbs lived in the old Daugherty house and ran a cooper shop there. About 1880 Willard McLean moved to the old Sylvester Plank house and repaired timepieces and sold jewelry there.
In 1887 the local chapter of the Farmer’s Alliance was organized but was soon succeeded by the Patrons of Husbandry (Grange). The Grange Hall was built up on the boundary line of Ray George and Peter Bush in 1893 but later it was moved to a site just south of the Church and it burned in 1919. The Baptist Church was built in 1884 and services were held there until it died out about 1906.
During the period from 1894 until 1905 there was a post office known as Purple Brook, Gilbert Davis was the postmaster and the post office was in the O. Davis house. During this time O. Snyder ran a cheese factory at the Thomas Road intersection and Vern Croft and Ed Wilcox ran small stores down on the Clark corner.
Old Houses
Brookfield’s log houses are gone now but when I was young there were several log houses standing and some of them were occupied. They were small usually sized about 16 by 20 or 24 by 30 feet, they had half pitched roofs and usually had two rooms with a fire place in one end. Most of them had a lean-to kitchen that had apparently been added on later. Closely resembling the log houses were the "blockhouses" with walls built of square timbers instead of logs. One blockhouse survives, the Sol Thomas house now owned by Leon McLean.
[ILLUSTRATION]
The first real houses were the Grecian Colonial houses often seen in parts of Maryland; they were built during the 1820’s as soon as sawed pine lumber was available. They ranged in size from the large houses of Wm. Simmons, the Grantier house now owned by H. Walters and the Dr. Bacon house now owned by D. Frank to the smaller ones of V. Phoenix, the Red House owned by R. Mattison and the old Erie Baker house later owned by Steve Chase. Other houses of this type are the Coffin house owned by Chas. Hackett, the old Gardner house now owned by P. Johns.
They had low-pitched roofs, false corner posts and extra wide cornices and trim of white pine. Originally, they had no porches but some had recessed entrances. They were sided with pine, lathed, and plastered inside. The Frank and Simmons houses were built full two stories and an attic but most of the others were built one and a half story with wide narrow upstairs windows set just under the wide roof cornices. All of them were originally equipped with shutters (blinds) on their windows. The original interior doors of the Grantier house were made from a single pine plank 32 in. wide. In contrast were three New England houses of the same period, the Godfrey Bowman house, the Amos Baker house and the Loper house owned by Jack Cole, the only survivor.
These houses had steep pitched roofs, narrow doors and windows and large porches.
After the Civil War, many T shaped houses were built during the hemlock-lumbering period. One rectangular upright frame was set with the narrow end facing the road and a usually smaller rectangular upright frame joining the larger frame on the long side. The roofs were built at half pitch and for the first time wainscoting and matched wood ceilings were used. The roof cornices and porches were lavishly decorated with pine frieze and scrollwork made in woodworking shops that specialized in that kind of work. The T houses were built in all sizes and shapes; a popular model was a full two story and an attic frame joined by a one and a half story frame at right angles. There were one and half T’s and double T’s.
The H. Walters house built by Jacob Grantier in 1828 as an inn, the Peter Bush family are shown in the front yard.
The Schools
The first school was held in Curtis Cady’s house in 1817. Asa Bushnell was the teacher and the pupils were the Cady children, John and Jemimia Robarts, George, Anna, Patty, and John Joseph, and Wm. Simmons. The first schoolhouse was built at the foot of Nobles Hill in 1821. It was a log building with split basswood slabs for seats and desks. Much later Wm. Simmons, a pupil there, said, "the place wasn’t fit to shelter hogs." Teachers there were Rev. Samuel Conant, Anna Van Camp and Luman Seeley. It closed in 1827.
In 1827 a new school called the Jackson School was built on the Cady (Cole) place up near the west boundary on the south side of the road. It ran until 1870 and for years was the only school in the western part of the Township. Early teachers there were Sheldon Streeter in 1827, Caroline Fenn in 1828, P. D. Leonard in 1830, and Z. Robinson in 1833. In 1873 a religious group called the "Wildcats" held meetings there and soon the building burned and some of the Brookfield Methodists were heard to say that, "we got rid of those damned wildcats once and for all." The first school at Austinburg was built at the Parallel Junction in 1827. These schools were financed and operated by the residents of the neighborhood they served, there was no school tax or aid of any kind. The school terms lasted about 90 days depending on the financial condition of the neighborhood and the teachers were paid $13 a month and board. In 1837 the State Legislature enacted the Common School Law which set up the local taxation financed public school system. Brookfield Township was divided into seven districts and six new schoolhouses were built, South Road School (only survivor), Wade School on Grantier’s Corner, J. Davis School at junction of Brookfield and Bertch Roads, Cady School on the Robbins place on the North Fork, and the Seeley School on North Road. In 1862 two schoolhouses were built, one at Brookfield Village just south of the Don Simmons place on the West side of the road, later it was moved across the road to provide more space for the children to play. The other one was built at the junction of the Clark and Purple Brook Roads, it was called the Clark School. These schoolhouses were alike, one room, a 25 pupil capacity and one teacher, the buildings were rough boards painted red, wood sealed inside, they were built for summer school and were colder than hell in the winter.
The old Wade schoolhouse was burned in 1869 by the veterans of Civil War during a drunken celebration in honor of the election of Gen. Grant as President. A new school was built there the Grantier School it ran until 1876 and then was used as a house.
In 1875 the State again became interested in public schools and several changes were made, School terms were increased to seven months starting in the fall, teachers’ salaries were raised to $26 a month later raised to $35, the Township was divided in eight districts and the State started to give financial aid to local schools. The first payment in 1878 amounted to $674.31. Troups Creek District 1 built a new schoolhouse a few rods up South Road. Loper District 2 built a new schoolhouse at the junction of North the California Roads. South Road District 3 used the old building. Brookfield District 4 used the old building. North Fork District 5 built a new schoolhouse at the junction of Scott Hollow and the North Fork Roads. Lower California District 6 built a new schoolhouse on the boundary line between Chas. Mascho and O. Hamblin. Clark District 7 used the old building and Seeley District 8 built a new building on North Road to replace the old school building, which had burned. These school houses, old and new were insulated with tar paper and siding, the school terms lasted through the fall and winter months. These schools had one room, one teacher and eight grades. Recitations were given at one end of the room near the teacher’s desk and they distracted the pupils who were trying to study.
The schoolrooms were sized 24 by 36 feet, they were heated by a small wood burning stove and the room temperature was usually below freezing on cold winter days. The toilets were outside and were usually half-full of snow, the drinking water carried by the pail from a nearby farmhouse was many times frozen solid. The children’s lunch pails were kept beside the stove to keep them from freezing also. The children bundled in warm clothing until they could hardly walk, walked to and from school up to a distance of two miles. Most teachers maintained an iron discipline and they had to, in those days, the pupil’s age range was older than now and some of the pupils were older and larger than the teachers.
About 1890 three new schoolhouses were built, one in Rose Valley first located in the lower valley and later moved up to the Skinner Hollow Road intersection, one in Brace Hollow on the Brace farm and the other one near the junction of the Dibble Hollow and Hancock Hollow Roads.
A legislative act passed in 1919 that mandated the closing of all rural schools having an enrollment of less than ten pupils and their transportation to other schools and another act provided an annual payment of $200 to each school so closed. The lumbering in Brookfield was done, the school population had dropped and these old schools closed, one by one. The Lower California School had closed in 1908 for lack of pupils, the Dibble Hollow School closed in 1911 and the South Road and Brace Hollow Schools closed in 1913 and their remaining pupils were transported to other schools.
The Purple Brook School was moved about one half mile up the valley to accommodate the remaining South Road children. It is now Ward Huyler’s house. In 1919, the Loper school closed and the pupils went down to the Lower California School for a year or so.
In 1920, the tax rate was twenty mills, the schools at Purple Brook, Lower California and Lower north Fork closed down, their pupils were transported to Westfield, and the first school busses appeared. They were heavy horse drawn farm wagons with canvass tops. The Austinburg School closed in 1921 and the pupils were taken to Knoxville.
There was some talk of building a consolidated school at Brookfield but the cost seemed prohibitive, there was also some trouble over the possession of the old school buildings, the Dibble Hill school building had been sold and the Loper, South Road and North Road school buildings were claimed by adjoining landowners.
By 1926, the old wagon school busses had been replaced by auto and truck busses. In 1942, the Brookfield School closed and now all the Township children were transported to Westfield and Knoxville by new type busses.
In 1948, Brookfield joined the Cowanesque Valley Jointure and due to the fact that Westfield Boro refused to join this Jointure, the Brookfield children were taught a schools in Westfield Township and at Knoxville.
In 1950, Westfield Boro became a member of the Jointure and most of the Brookfield children returned to the Westfield Boro School. In 1951, the local tax rate was 35 mills and ten dollars per capita, the School Board sold the Brookfield School building leaving the South Road schoolhouse as the sole survivor, the rest of them had been sold or had burned.
The new Junior-Senior School building was built on the old Fair Grounds in 1955 and 1956, Paul Taylor represented Brookfield as a member of the Authority Board. School busses had become larger, 60 passenger, and bus drivers were paid as much as $600 a month and the Brookfield children were hauled to Knoxville, Westfield and the new High School.
In accordance with the Merger Law enacted by the State on July 1, 1966, Brookfield became part of the Northern Tioga School District made up of school districts in the Cowanesque Valley and the Tioga section, the costs of education had risen to unheard of heights and the School Board had been hard pressed to finance the costs. The local tax rate was 60 mills in 1965 and 65 mills in 1966. The School Board had been gradually stripped of its powers and Brookfield entered the new merger without representation of any kind.
The Roads
As I mentioned before the first road in Brookfield was built up Troups Creek in 1800 and soon the early settlers had chopped out a road up North Road, part way down the California and on to Brown Settlement (Brookfield) and on down Brown’s Run as far as the Metcalf place. Before 1820, there was no road to Westfield and there was no need of one for Westfield was just a wide spot on the road leading to Potter Co. at that time. An old story tells that "before elections were held in Brookfield J. B. Seeley, Wm. Simmons and Amos Baker walked to Westfield to vote and darkness overtook them on the way home in a heavy hemlock forest on the middle North Fork and they became lost." Until 1820, the only road of entry to Brookfield was the road down North Road and down Troups Creek to Knoxville. In 1820, the State opened a road up the North Fork but it followed the stream and led off to Potter County. The California Road was opened to Westfield in 1828; it followed the creek from the Fred Moore place down through a dense hemlock forest and was corduroy most of the way. In 1836, the Brookfield Road was built down to connect with the North Fork Road. The Purple Brook was built up to the Lane Corner in 1829 and on the lower end, it followed the creek. The Clark road and South Road were opened about 1830.
During the time from 1850 to 1860, several east-west crossroads were built connecting the main valley roads with each other. After the Civil War, roads were built in Dibble Hollow, Hancock Hollow, Brace Hollow, Skinner Hollow and Rose Valley; most of them were originally lumber roads.
About this time, first mention was made of the Supervisors. There were two supervisors and a Town Clerk. The Township Roads were divided in two sections with a supervisor responsible for each section. During the period from 1895 to 1909, the supervisors made annual payments to landowners for building and maintenance of water troughs to furnish water for the teams of horses traveling the public roads.
In 1906, the number of supervisors was increased to three including a secretary and the office of Town Clerk was abolished.
In 1909, the Troups Creek Road was macadamized and this was the first improved road in this part of the country except for city streets. The Township to pay its share of this road had to issue bonds to the amount of $3068.65 and enacted a Special Tax of 2.75 mills to pay them off. Soon after, in 1912, this road was taken by the State.
During the 1920’s he State took parts of the Clark Road, North Road and the North Fork Road and soon macadamized them. In 1933, the State took all the Township roads and maintained them under the direction of a local foreman, and during this time the State macadamized parts of the Purple Brook and California Roads using labor furnished by the W.P.A.
In 1936, the State returned to the Township 31 miles of the less important township roads and set up a State Aid plan in which the State from liquid fuel tax funds paid the Township an annual sum based on road millage and population, the first payment was $1900 and a supervisor was appointed to administer this fund. In 1937, the Township vacated parts of the Tompkins Road, Dibble Hollow Road and Hancock Hollow Road and the State finished improving the North Fork Road through to the State Line.
In 1940, the Township purchased a large crawler type tractor and snowplow costing $4108.75 borrowed from A. Lane. Soon the Township contracted with the State to remove snow from their roads and soon paid off the loan. From this time on the Brookfield Roads were free from snow. In 1941, the Township purchased from Guy Clark a lot on Purple Brook and erected a building to house the Township machinery.
In 1950, the Township began building stabilized roads of crushed gravel financed by Matching Fund Projects - the cost being shared by the Township and State. In 1956, the State abolished Matching Projects and increased the State Aid payments with the understanding that 25% of these funds be used for road construction.
In 1954, the Township contracted with the Westfield Fire Protection Co. for township fire protection and raised the township tax rate to 7 mills to pay the costs, later fire protection contracts were made with the Fire Cos. at Westfield and Knoxville.
In 1957, the Township purchases a used power grader for $3650 and in 1963 traded and obtained a new Caterpillar grader equipped with snowplow and side wing. In 1964, the Township built an addition on the Township building large enough to house the new grader and include a shop and an office to be used as an Election Hall to replace the old County owned obsolete and inaccessible Election Building on South Road, the cost was about $3000.
In 1966, the Township built its first blacktop toad and also purchased an acre of land on Purple Brook to be a municipal park and built a small pond there.
Unusual Events
For some reason most of the unusual happenings in Brookfield Township were concerned with murders and what seems more unusual most of the murderers were never caught or punished.
In 1817, Dan Robarts, son-in-law of old John Joseph, was killed by three Indians during a dispute over the theft of an iron kettle from Mrs. Joseph. Robarts followed the Indians and was found the next morning with his skull crushed. It happened on the Mack place.
Brookfield’s most celebrated murder (it actually happened in New York State) was the killing of Sam Ives by Robert Douglas. In 1824, Douglas, only nineteen years old, was a hardened criminal, wanted for many crimes. Previously he had defrauded Ives with a counterfeit Bank of Ontario banknote and Ives had vowed vengeance. He saw Douglas passing by and pursued and attacked him and during the struggle Douglas stabbed Ives several times with a dagger. Ives died and after a celebrated manhunt, Douglas was captured near Cameron N.Y. He was convicted and hanged at Bath N.Y. A complete account of the murder and trial is found in the Free Press issue of June 8th, 1888.
The tombstones of the murdered men. The Ives tombstones stand in the Pioneer Cemetery at Austinburg. The Roberts tombstone was found some years ago in a gravel bed near the old Bacon Cemetery.
During the Civil War, a "black sheep" member of a respected Troups Creek family killed a man named Potter in the old blacksmith shop that stood opposite the Hansel store and burned the building to conceal the evidence of his crime. He was convicted and died in prison serving a life sentence.
In 1852, Jacob Cottleif lived on the California and worked in the Seagers Bros. sawmill. Gold was discovered there while digging the millrace for the sawmill. A small gold rush took place and the name of the valley was changed to Little California.
Instead of staking claims in the western manner, each gold seeker piled up a pile of the creek gravel as his property. Several disputes developed over the ownership of the gravel piles and early one morning Cottleif was found dead beside his gravel pile, his head smashed by a bloodstained rock found beside him. About this time, Ebenezer Mascho, who owned the Empson place at that time, put an end to all prospecting and claimed all the gold so far recovered and while the claimants were bickering among themselves a flash flood washed it all away. Peter Edgcomb the blind man who lived east of Westfield lived here at that time and he spent a long time searching for the source of this gold as far as I know he didn’t find any.
During 1867, a man named Abner Thorpe lived on the North Fork in an old log house that stood on the boundary line between the properties of Robbins and Rumsey where there is a lilac bush now. He claimed to own a timber tract up in Kotcher Hollow and Jim King who lived on the Kotcher place also claimed it. Harsh words and threats had been exchanged and one day Thorpe went up to the timber lot to cut logs and did not return. The next day old Will Rumsey went searching for Thorpe and found him with his head split with an axe. Rumsey brought him down to the King place and he became conscious and saw his enemy. He cried, "Don’t let him hit me again" and he died. No action was taken.
In 1875, Eugene Hendricks shot and killed his brother-in-law, Wm. Dildine. The Hendricks family were prominent in Brookfield but the killing occurred at the Hendrick home just across the State Line. Helen Hendricks had married Dildine and had left him and returned to the Hendricks home with her young son. Dildine, full of cheap whiskey, went to the Hendricks place, demanded custody of his son, and attempted to take him away by force. As he was leaving, Eugene Hendricks shot Dildine five times with a pistol and killed him. Hendricks was tried at Bath N.Y. and was acquitted. Old stories tell that Dildine’s blood fell on the flagstone steps to the Hendricks porch and when cleaned off appeared again and again – I don’t know, the flagstones are gone now.
In 1886, Abraham Cotton a Jew peddler and brother-in-law of old Joe Phillips of Westfield was last seen on the Purple Brook Road and was never seen again. On Sept. 21, 1886 oficers from Westfield arrested Henry (Riley) McFall, his wife and Mr. Burdick, his brother-in-law and lodged them in the jail at Westfield. A hearing was held and it was charged that they had robbed and killed Cotton and hid his body in the well. The Free Press stated that "five brave men from Westfield invaded the McFall homestead armed with pumps and tools, they pumped the well dry and dug holes all over the place but they found no trace of Cotton or his merchandise." Meanwhile Dan Baldwin had effected the release of the McFalls for highly irregular conduct of the arresting officers and the manner in which the hearing was conducted. Some time later Cotton’s leather packsack was found slashed to ribbons down in Rose Valley but no one ever saw Abe Cotton again.
During the summer of 1900 two young men named Sherman and Kelly from the area of Binghamton N.Y. traveled the roads of Brookfield selling religious articles to finance their way through seminary school, they said. The "preacher boys," as they were called, were well known and well liked and it seemed that they were sponsored by a leading Westfield Church. On July 13th a well known lady of doubtful reputation, living on South Road, and her father appeared before Squire Parsons of Westfield and charged that these young men had committed criminal assault on her person.
The Squire knowing the lady’s reputation hesitated but the straightforward statements made by the lady and her father left him no choice. Warrants were issued and officer Joe Ayres (uncle to the Joe Ayres we knew) and two deputies, I. Washburn and Gabe Fraiser, set out to serve them. They apprehended the preacher boys at the Payne Corner, they denied all charges and the officers were impressed by their sincerity but they were arrested and the party went over the hill and on down to Purple Brook. This part of the Township was thickly settled then and as they passed the houses, their occupants came boiling out and indignantly demanded the reason the preacher boys were in custody and harsh words were exchanged.
As the party moved down Purple Brook the local residents followed them, some with teams and wagons and some on foot and some of the children pelted the officers with stones. Just before the party reached the River Road some of the local men whipped their horses, passed the officers, and blocked the road leading up to Westfield. The officers attempted to break through but no one would move. The Purple Brookers demanded that the boys be tried by Squire Green who lived in the Van Zile Nursing Home at that time but the Squire taking a look at the threatening mob disqualified himself to act.
The crowd seemed to be getting out of hand so one of the officers suggested that if they couldn’t go to Westfield why not go down to the hotel at Edgcombville (Cowanesque) and all have a drink. This idea suited everyone and the drivers unsnarled their teams and everyone turned down to Edgcombville. When they arrived at the hotel the prisoners objected, "they would enter no dens of iniquity so they remained outside in the custody of Washburn, provided a bottle be sent out to him. The others went inside and Officer Ayres called for a round of drinks in honor of the upright people of Purple Brook and they countered with a round to the brave officers of Westfield. They drank to the lady of doubtful reputation, they drank to the ladies of doubtful reputation of Edgcombville and they drank to the ladies of doubtful reputation of Westfield and then they just drank. Everyone became warm friends and Ayers, his purpose accomplished decided it was time to go on up to Westfield but when he emerged from the hotel he found the prisoners long gone and Washburn lay under a nearby tree out cold with not one but two empty bottles beside him.
Two boys were playing nearby and when asked where the prisoners had gone one boy pointed towards Westfield and the other point toward Knoxville and they shouted in unison, "They want thataway."
The officers were exhausted by the day’s events so they loaded their companion in the back of the wagon and as the sun went down drove slowly back to Westfield well satisfied with the way things had turned out. The ladies of Purple Brook had soon grown tired of waiting outside the hotel and had driven the teams back home leaving the men to get home as best they could, some of them didn’t make it til the next day.
The Jesuit Relics
It is a well-known fact that French explorers passed through this part of the country during the later part of the 18th Century, early records show of their presence at Tioga Point, Canisteo, etc. and along the Allegheny River. Munsel’s History of Tioga Co. states that on Sept. 10th 1872 workmen employed by Ira Edgcomb were excavating a pit for the boiler of a steam sawmill discovered two candelabra and a silver plate, the type used in Catholic Mass.
The discovery was made on the Cowanesque River Flats west of Westfield near the old Fair Grounds now the Junior-Senior High School opposite the junction of the North Fork Road. They were found buried in four feet of gravel. The candelabra were described as being roughly made of lead in two parts, the flat base being separate from the upright part. The plate about ten inches in diameter was made of silver with gold edge and inscriptions. Later one candelabra and the plate were owned by Chas. Tubbs of Osceola and now they are in a museum at Buffalo N.Y.
And finally we come to the end of the story and the cemeteries. The Woodlawn at Austinburg and the Brookfield Cemeteries are in perpetual care and are well kept. However, it is necessary to describe the older half-forgotten burial places where the old pioneers were buried. The Pioneer Cemetery at Austinburg dates back to 1805 hardly a resident of the Township but what has an ancestor buried there. This Cemetery became filled with graves about 1900 and was allowed to become neglected but lately with some financial aid from the Township it has been greatly improved. The Plank Cemetery, originally a family burial place, later the neighborhood used this cemetery, no lots were sold and no financial help of any kind and this cemetery too became neglected but this cemetery too has had help from the Township and is also improved in appearance.
The old Bacon Cemetery is located near the old Hilltown Village at the junction of two branches of North Creek. Old timers said once there were about seventy graves there surrounded by a board fence. Now there are only seven or eight, the creek has washed most of them away. John Joseph, soldier of the Revolutionary War, and Godfrey Bowman, hero of the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813, are buried there. This cemetery is in deplorable condition grown up to trees and brush.
Down on the North Fork opposite the Bess Garage was an old burial place, once there were ten or fifteen gravestones there, they are gone now.
On Purple Brook on the old Clark homestead is the Clark Cemetery, covered with trees and brush, there are about thirty marked graves there now.
The Genealogy of the Pioneer Families
Jacob Grantier came here from New York State in 1828. He married Eunice daughter of Julius Seeley and their children were Sarah who married Francis Mascho, Julius, Henry, Ellen who married Geo. Farnham and Giles.
Julius Grantier (Jute), son of Jacob and Eunice Grantier, married Mary daughter of Joseph and Catherine Bowman, their children were Rosabell and Nora who married Ed Mason.
Simon A. S. Murrary, son of James and Sylvia Murrary was born in Schnectady N.Y. July 25th 1815; married Sarah, daughter of Rufus and Rachel Stanton, and their children were: Mary, who married Amos Jackson, Harley who married Ida Evans, James killed in the Civil War, Emelia, Fredrick, Adelade who married Warren Wyatt, Fanny who married Ed Bates and Ed.
Joseph and Lucy Griffin came here from Michigan about 1845; their children were Wesley, Wilmont, Harry and Eugene.
Wesley Griffin, son of Joseph and Lucy Griffin, married Abigail, daughter of Homer Gibbs and their children were Lucy who married Chas. Hunt, Clara and Ellsworth.
Truman Hamblin came here from New York State in 1835. He married Elvira, daughter of Luman Seeley and their children were Henry, Orlo and Czar.
Orlo Hamblin, son of Truman and Elvira Hamblin, married Anna, daughter of George and Eliza Hunt. Their children were George Truman (Trum), Jennie, William, Enoch, Sarah who married Wm. Cushing and Anna who married Nat Bush.
Cyrus, Theodore and Elmer McPeek came here from New York State. Cyrus McPeek married Jane Daugherty and their children were Margaret, Harriet, and Lena.
Theodore McPeek married Alina, daughter of Wm. and Sabrina George and their children were Elvira who married Wm. Simmons, Vesta who married Reed Mack and Martha who married E. Youngs.
Lovel Plank came here from Pamfret Conn. in 1819. His wife was Mehitable Metcalf and their children were Sylvester, Olive who married Sam Robinson, Daniel Isaac, Charles H. and Laura who married John G. George.
Sylvester Plank, son of Lovel and Mehitable Plank, married Pamela daughter of Rufus and Rachel Stanton, their children were Cornellia who married H. Gustin then Jonas Erway, Henry killed I the Civil War, Daniel M., Olive, Cornela, George, Emory and David.
Daniel Plank came here in 1819. He married Eliza White and their children were Mary who married Ebenezer Mascho, a Mrs. V. A. Brown, Ella who married Albert Walters, Daniel Jr., Cora and Sylvester.
Isaac Plank, son of Lovel and Mehitable Plank, came here in 1819. His wife was Sally Ann Smith, their children were Lovel, Devailence (Vail), Catherine who married Henry Wood, Lydia who married Tiler Spaulding and Harvey. Late in life he married Esther Wood.
Charles H. Plank, son of Lovel and Mehitable Plank, came here in 1819 with his parents. He married Laurannia Beebe and their children were Spenser and Welcome.
William (Squire Bill) Simmons came here from New York State with the Nobles family in 1815. He married Mary daughter of old John Brown and their children were Andrew, Elizabeth who married J. P. Sleeper, John, Ebenezer, Lucinda who married Rev. Wm. Raymond, and Mary who Married Joseph Montanyne.
Andrew Simmons, son of Wm. And Mary Simmons, married Martha daughter of Geo. And Phoebe Hunt and their children were Gaylord, Fred, Rosa, Mary, George, Lumanda who married Schuyler Lozier, then W. W. Baker, and Lena who married Ed Parker.
John Simmons, son of Wm. And Mary Simmons, married Anne daughter of old Dr. Bacon, their children were Wm. And Ethel both died young.
Gaylord Simmons, son of Andrew and Martha Simmons married Cora daughter of Asahel and Hannah Nobles and their children were Roy, Edith who married Leo George and Lula who married Sam Baker.
George Simmons, son of Andrew and Martha Simmons, married Lydia daughter of Chas. Hunt and their children were Andrew and Donald.
Wm. Simmons, son of Andrew and Martha Simmons, married Elvira daughter of Theodore and Alina McPeek and their children were Ivan, Elon and Elsie.
Sam Baker, his wife Polly and two sons, Ira and Amos, came here in 1812.
Ira Baker, son of Sam and Polly Baker, married Sarah daughter of old John Brown and their children were Polly Ann who married Isaac Metcalf, Erie who married Betsey Hunt, Isaac who married Maria Metcalf, Lucinda who married Morris Metcalf, Edward, James, Ruth and David.
Amos Baker, son of Sam and Polly Baker, married Ruth Warner.
Edward Baker, son of Ira and Sarah Baker married Lucy daughter of Hiram and Almira Lewis and their children were Schuyler (Meb), James, Frank, Emma who married Fred Simmons and Wm. Wallace (Wally).
Wm. Wallace Baker, son of Edward and Lucy Baker, married Lucinda daughter of Sam Moore and their children were Wm. Leroy (Roy), Sam, Russell and Lucy. Late in life he married Lumanda Lozier.
George W. Hunt and his wife Mary daughter of Jonathan and Mary Brown came here in 1844, their children were Charles, Elizabeth (Betsey) who married Erie Baker, John, Richard, George, Jane who married Wm. Coffin, Jackson, Robert and Adam.
George Hunt, son of George W. and Mary Hunt married Eliza Coffin and their children were Anna who married Orlo Hamblin, Jane who married W. Kizer, Sarah Elizabeth, Harrison Benjamin (Benny), Charles, Harriett, Wm. and Mary who married Chas Brown, Cora.
Richard Hunt, son of George W. and Mary Hunt, married Phoebe Van Dusen and their children were Martha who married Andrew Simmons, Sylvester who was killed in the Civil War, Maretta, George, Roxanna who married Steve Chase, Violetta who married Ed McLean and Lester.
Ambrose Parker came here in 1826. His wife was Ruby Metcalf and their children were Cyrus Frank, Isaac Plumer (Plume), A. Bradley and Isaac both killed in the Civil War, Sterling, Adelia who married Geo. Hunt then Chas. Brown, Melissa and Niel.
Isaac Plumer Parker, son of Ambrose and Ruby Parker, married Ruth Kelly and their children were Almira, Viola, Nellie who married Wm. Brown, Dolly who married Dr. Kunkle, Plumber Ed (Ed), Blanche and Ambrose Lee.
Cyrus Frank Parker, son of Ambrose and Ruby Parker, married Hulda Sluyter and their children were Ralph, Charles, William.
Issagh Metcalf came here in 1824. His wife was Johanna Baker and their children were Mendell, Ruby who married Ambrose Parker, Moses H., Marvin B., Minerva, Morris P., Martin, Manda, Maria and Miles.
Moses Metcalf, son of Issagh and Ruby Metcalf, married Lucy Hamblin, their children were Hannah, Janette, Rosila, Mary, Ira and Murrary.
Simeon Lewis came here in 1818. His first wife was Nancy Babcock and their children were Ben Schuyler and Hiram B. His second wife was Abigal Coates and their children were Nancy, Lucy and Sally. His third wife was Ruth Coon and their children were Luke, Charles, Datus, Simeon, Phenus, Loren and John Wesley.
Hiram B. Lewis, son of Simeon and Nancy Lewis, married Almira Bowman and their children were Schuyler G., Lucy who married Ed Baker, Lovina and George.
John Brown, veteran of the Revolutionary War, came here in 1812. His wife was ? and their children were Mary who married Wm. Simmons, Sarah who married Ira Baker, Moses who married his adopted sister Elizabeth Washburn and her sister Jemina who married Ransome Cady.
John P. Joseph, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, came here in 1814. His wife was Elizabeth Starr and their children were John, Susannah, Hannah and Sally.
John Joseph, son of John and Sally Joseph, married Sarah Teed and their children were Elizabeth, Sarah, Susannah who married Godfrey Bowman, William, George, Patty, John and Anna.
William Joseph, son of John and Sarah Joseph, married Harriet Plumb and their children were George, Sally who married Cornelius Hamblin, Ruth who married Amos Northrop, Bowman, William, Almira and Nancy both of whom married Sylvanus Gardner, Rhoda and Libby.
George Joseph, son of John and Sarah Joseph married Clarissa Plumb and their children were Harriet, Clare who married Nelson Gill, Sally, William and Mirah.
Sarah Joseph, daughter of John and Sarah Joseph, married Dan Robarts and their children were John and Jemimina, after the Indians killed her husband she married Jacob Palmer and their children were Martha, Ann, Susan, Jacob and Elizabeth.
John P. Joseph, son of John and Sarah Joseph, married Deborah daughter of Ezekiel Thomas and their children were Martha, Mercy, Charlotte who married Solomon Thomas, Sarah who married Chas. Mascho, Mary who married Harvey Seeley, Thomas, Patty, John, Eunice and Elizabeth.
John Joseph, son of John and Deborah Joseph, married Clarissa ? and their children were Electra, Eliza, Hiram and Nancy.
Martha Joseph, daughter of John and Sarah Joseph, married Sheldon Atkins, their children were Zenas and Jacob.
Bowman Joseph, son of Wm. and Harriet Joseph, married Elizabeth Brooks and their children were Alfonzo, Harriet, Hannah and Nancy.
Godfrey Bowman came here in 1815. His wife was Susannah Joseph and their children were Almira who married Hiram Lewis, Joseph, Lavina who married James King, John who married Almira Lewis, Hannah, Susan who married Ben Tubbs, William, Charles, Milton, Benson and George.
Joseph Bowman, son of Godfrey and Susannah Bowman, married Catherine Newman and their children were Hannah, who married Chas. Phipps, John, Sam, Sarah, Mary who married Julius Grantier, and Martha.
Milton Bowman, son of Godfrey and Susannah Bowman, married Ruth Cummings and their children were Delos, Ross, Charles and Lucina.
John Godfrey Bowman, son of Joseph and Catherine Bowman, married Henrietta Grantier and their children were Walter, Albert (Bert) and Carrie.
Ransome Cady came here in 1808 with his father Curtis Cady. He married Jeminia Washburn foster daughter of old John Brown and their children were William who married Charlotte Davis, Orrissa who married Archibald Potter, Minna, Irene, Mahalia and Anna.
Minna Cady, daughter of Ransome and Jemimia Cady, married Noah Hubbard and their children were Mary, Susan who married Chas. Grinolds, Nathaniel, Winfield, Angie who married Herman Wakley, Noah Jr., Emma who married Chas. Gill, and Harriet who married Rufus Cook.
Azel Nobles came to Brookfield in 1812. His wife was Hannah ? and their children were Asahel and perhaps others.
Asahel Nobles, son of Azel and Hannah Nobles, married Hannah Joseph and their children were Hannah who married John Coffin and Darius.
Darius Nobles, son of Asahel and Hannah Nobles, married Cornelia Leonard and their children were George who married Julia Brown, Walter who married Ida Tubbs, Cora who married Gaylord Simmons and Emma who married Winfield Hubbard.
Walter Nobles, son of Darius and Cornelia Nobles, married Ida Tubbs and their children were Clayton, Ora and Victor.
John Coffin married Hannah, daughter of Asahel and Hannah Nobles, their children were Darius, Asahel, Peleg, Mary, Ella and Kate
Peleg Coffin, son of John and Hannah Coffin, married Mary Prudy, their children were Rose who married Fred Brown.
Benjamin Cuer came here in 1824. His wife was Polina ?, their children were Thadoras, William, Alphia, and Ben Jr.
John Gardner, son of Ben Gardner, came here in 1824. He married Welthy Grant then Abigal Capewell, their children were Sylvanus, Daniel, Charles, Milo, Elvira, Chloe, Fanny, Lydia and Abbie.
Milo Gardner, son of John and Welthy Gardner, married Sarah Leyden and their children were Dora who married Arch McLean and Lydia who married Albert Bates.
Sylvanus Gardner, son of John and Welthy Gardner, married two daughters of Wm. and Harriet Joseph. First he married Nancy Joseph and their children were Mittie who married Geo. Rumsey and Myra who married Phil Kent. Then he married Almira Joseph and their children were Edwin and Abbie.
Wm. Rumsey came here in 1850. His wife was ? Robbins and child was George.
George Rumsey, son of Wm. and ?, married Hittie daughter of Sylvanus and Nancy Gardner and their children were Wm. Harvey and Grace who married Grant Briggs.
James King came here in 1845. His wife was Lavina, daughter of Godfrey and Susannah Bowman and their children were James, Ostranger, Benson, Alphonse, Milton, Araville, Delia and Bailey.
Archibald McLean married Katherine Miller and their children were William, Archibald, Sarah who married S. B. Plank, John and Etta.
George W. Davis came here about 1845. His wife was Jannette daughter of John and Minerva George and their children were James, Gilbert, Liza, Hepsibah, Leroy who was killed I the War and Ida who married Wm. Lane.
Gilbert Davis, son of Geo. and Jannette Davis, married a Miss Peso, their children were Mary, Louise, Ashley, Leroy and Glenn.
James Davis, son of Geo. and Jannette Davis, married Juillette Lane and their children were George.
William H. Clark came here about 1830. His wife was Ann Woodcock and their children were Wm. H. Peter, Isaac, Catherine who married Dan Atwell, Sally, John and Hannah.
Wm. Henry Clark, son of Wm. and Ann Clark, married Aphia Giddings, their children were Nancy, Henry W., Peter who married Ella McCaslin, David, Ann who married Hose, Dolly, Tom, Chester, Mary, John W., Catherine who married Joel Stiles, Sarah who married Wm. Watkins, and Lovica who married Peter McCaslin and Frank.
Henry W. Clark, son of Wm. and Aphia Clark, married Louisa Cunningham and their children were Catherine, Jonn, Effie, Carrie who married Geo. Davis, Lavinnie who married Bob Cleveland and Herbert.
Frank Clark, son of Wm. and Aphia Clark, married Libbie Murdock and their children were Guy, Margaret who married Clayton Van Zile, Jame B., and Leva.
Chester Clark, son of Wm. and Aphia Clark, married Clarissa Potter and their children were Stephen, Lewis and Annie.
Titus Ives and his wife Mary came here in 1808. Their children were Timothy, MRs. Sam Page, Susannah who married Joseph Lane later Harvey Seeley, Ambrose and Samuel who was killed by Bob Douglas.
Ambrose Ives, son of Titus and Mary Ives, married Catherine Holliday and their children were Titus D., Jerusha, Viola who married Calvin Phoenix, Pheloma who married Abe Wakley and Addie who married a man named Crance.
William Austin came here in 1865. He married Harriet daughter of Silas Seeley then Emeline daughter of Stephen Seeley.
John B. Wakley, son of John and Elizabeth Wakley, came here about 1840. He married Dinah, daughter of Rufus and Rhoda Cook and their children were Sally Ann, Jane, Daniel, and John B. and then he married Mary Murdock and their children were Oscar, Frank, Joe, Elizabeth and Sam.
Sally Ann Wakley, daughter of J. B. and Dinah Wakley, married Daniel Hunt and their children were Juillette who married Wm. Seeley, Nettie who married Geo. Seeley and John.
Daniel Wakley, son of J. B. and Dinah Wakley, married Adeline Ordway and their children were Albert (Abe), Herman, Libby who married Lillie Card and Minerva who married Chas. Collins.
Jane Wakley, daughter of J. B. and Dinah Wakley, married David Fisk.
John B. Wakley, son of John and Dinah Wakley, married Mary Woodward, their children were Elizabeth, Stephen, Agustus and Robert.
Robert Wakley, son of John and Mary Wakley, married Phoebe daughter of Luman D. Seeley and their children were John and James.
Ethan P. Eddy and his wife, Malinda Owens, came here about 1826. There children were Diarhania, Eugene, Axa Anna who married Ben Abjiah (Biger) Seeley, Militia, Andrew and Royal.
Andrew Eddy, son of Ethan and Malinda Eddy, married ? their children were Ethan T., Mary and David.
Royal Eddy, son of E. P. and Malinda Eddy, married ? their son was James.
Daniel Schoonover came here about 1815. He married Minerva, daughter of Cornelius Seeley and their children were Anson, Benjamin and Richard, then he married Anna Warner and their children were Ezra, Charlotte and Daniel.
Richard Schoonover, son of Daniel and Minerva Schoonover, married Sophrona daughter of Christopher Schoonover and their children were Chloe who married Jacob Cole, Richard P., Lucina who married John D. George, Hiram and Elizabeth.
Richard P. Schoonover, son of Richard and Sophrona Schoonover, married Eliza Lurvey and their children were Norman (Burt), Hiram and Tressa who married Chas. Cole.
Rev. Stephen Murdock and his wife who was Sarah Broughton, came here in 1824. Their children were Lavancia, Gaylord, Herman, Augusta and Alden.
Gaylord Murdock, son of Stephen and Sarah Murdock, married Pamela Sherwood and their children were Grace, Glenn and Harry.
Herman Murdock, son of Stephen and Sarah Murdock, married Victoria Sanford and their children were Louis, Rose, John and David.
Alden Murdock son of Stephen and Sarah Murdock, married Etta daughter of Arch McLean and their children were Archibald, Stephen, Lavanchia, Reid, Cameron and Jesse.
Dr. Jonathan Bonney came here in 1820. His wife was Fannie ? and their children were Warren, John and Mary.
Warren Bonney, son of Jonathan and Fanny Bonney, married Mary Wakley and their children were Warren Jr. and Eugene.
Eugene Bonney, son of Warren and Mary Bonney, married Lydia daughter of Jerome Fish and their children were Mary, Emma, Edith who married Wm. Ryder, and Lula who married Hiram Schoonover.
Warren Bonney Jr., son of Warren and Mary Bonney, married Mary Eddy.
James Owens came here in 1829. His wife was Susan Schoonover and their children were Sarah, Malinda, James Syrenus, Elizabeth and Mary.
John Owens came here in 1829. He married Lorinda Gilkey, their children were Maria who married John Bush, Laura, Sabrina who married Wm. B. George and John.
John Owens, son of John and Lorinda, married Maria daughter of Geo. Outman and their children were Maria. Then he married Helen Foote and their children were Zelma who married Arch McLean, Martha, Myra who married Geo. Daugherty and Bert.
John Bedford George came here with his parents, Bedford and Ann George, in 1804. He married Olive Gardner and their children were Jane who married Stephen, Lane, Sally, William B., Mary Maria who married Dr. Geo. Northrop, John G. and Abner.
William S. George, a half brother of Bedford George, came here in 1824. His wife Sarah ? and their children were Ben and an adopted son, Ben Abjiah Seeley.
Ben George, son of Wm. and Sarah George, married Sarah Coffin and their children were Bedford, John B., Nancy who married John Hammond, Eliza who married John Mascho, Sarah Jane, Sabrina who married Barney Fraiser, Hannah who married Barnabas Seeley, Lydia and William.
Bedford George, son of Ben and Sarah George, married Aurie ? their children were Ernest, William and Mame.
John Bedford George, son of Ben and Sarah George, married Minerva daughter of Ben and Sarah Seeley and their children were Jannette who married Geo. Davis, Angie who married Joe Flynn and Lena.
Abner George, son of J. B. and Olive George, married Minerva ? their children were Bedford, Carrie, Mary, and Emma who married E. Jordan.
John G. George, son of J. B. and Olive George, married Laura daughter of Lovel and Mehitable Plank and their children were Leray, Sam and Maria who married Chas. Mascho.
William B. George, son of J. B. and Olive George, married Sabrina daughter of John and Lorinda Owens and their children were Alcina who married Ed Mascho, Selina who married Theodore McPeek, Zylphia who married Edgar Cook, Zella who married Miles Grist, Mary Ann who married Dave Daugherty, Lizel, and Lorinda who married Jim Thomas.
Lizel George, son of Wm. B. and Lorinda George, married Angie Dartt and their children were Max, William and Mable.
John D. George married Luvina, daughter of Richard and Sophrona Schoonover and their children were Charles.
There were three different Ben Seeleys settled in Brookfield all about 1810.
Benjamin Seeley the Quaker 1759-1828, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, settled near Austinburg in 1814. His wife was Sarah Moon and their children were Barnabas, William, Betsey, Silas, Amanda, John, Esther and Minerva who married John Bedford George. He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War.
Barnabas Seeley, son of Ben and Sarah Seeley, married Hannah daughter of Ben and Sarah George and their children were Minerva who married John Fitch, Sally, Anne who married E. E. Shumway, William G., Silas and Pamela who married Jerome Fish.
William G. Seeley, son of Barnabas and Hannah Seeley, married Matilda Hunt.
Silas Seeley, son of Barnabas and Hannah Seeley married ?, their children were Harriet who married Wm. Austin and Emeline.
Benjamin S. Seeley, a brother of Ebenezer Seeley of Deerfield Twp., came here and settled just over the State Line in 1810. His wife’s name was Susan ? and their children were Sally and Ben Abjiah (Biger).
Ben Abjiah (Biger) Seeley, son of Ben S. and Susan Seeley, was brought up by William George. He married Axa Anna Eddy and their children were George, James and Sarah who married Wm. Gilkey.
"Uncle" Ben Seeley was one of the first settlers of Brookfield Village. His sons were E. L. Seeley, H. B. Seeley and James E. Seeley.
Anne Seeley, daughter of Julius Seeley of Knoxville, married Curtis Cady, the old pioneer. Their twin daughters were the first white children born in the Township in 1818. Amelia married Orrin Sprague and Emily married Rev. Samuel Conant.
Luman Seeley, son of Justus and Sarah Seeley, came here in 1814. His wife was Polly Stark and their children were Justus B, Elvira who married Truman Hamblin, Sam, Harvey, Arthur W., Luman D., and Mira.
Harvey Seeley, son of Luman and Polly Seeley, married Amy daughter of John and Deborah Joseph and their children were James, Frank, Sam killed in the Civil War, Jesse and Alice who married Douglas Cook.
Samuel Seeley, son of Luman and Polly Seeley, married Mary daughter of Ansel and May Hubbard, their children were Noah, Nathaniel, Hudson, William and Matt.
Luman D. Seeley, son of Luman and Polly Seeley, married Emily Abbot and their children were David, Archibald, Nathaniel, Dwight, Truman, Phoebe who married Robert Wakley and Welthy.
Arthur W. Seeley, son of Luman and Polly Seeley, married ? and their children were Bradley, Maria and Vida.
Nathaniel Seeley, son of Luman D. and Emily Seeley, married Louise St. George stepdaughter of Peter Bush and their children were Mable and Ed.
Horace Seeley came here in 1831. His wife was ? and their children were Chester, Mary, Allan, William R., Timothy, Rebecca, Angeline, Cynthia who married J. B. Seeley, Horace and Nathaniel. Later he married Susannah Ives Lane and their children were Elihu, Titus and Stephen.
Chester Seeley, son of Horace and ? Seeley, married Polly Alvord and their daughter was Minerva who married John B. George.
Anthony Seeley, son of Nathaniel and Rebecca Seeley, came here about 1840. He married Lydia Abbott and their daughter Orma was the mother of Fletcher Seeley whose daughter, Hannah, married Ken Bly.
Norris Seeley, son of James Seeley, came here from the Shenang Settlement about 1890. His wife was Lobelia ? and their children were James George and Cassie who married Otis Bush.
Allan Seeley, son of Horace Seeley, married ? and their children were Herman and Alfred.
Herman Seeley, son of Allan Seeley, married ? and their children were George and others.
John Mascho, son of David Mascho, came here in 1820. His wife was Sally Taylor and their children were Charles, Ebenezer and John.
Charles Mascho, son of John and Sally Mascho, married Sarah daughter of John and Deborah Joseph and their children were Charles W., Anson who married Hettie Davis, John who married Frances Kizer, Kate who married Anson Joseph, Marilda who married Hiram Morton, Harvey and Sevellon (Vell).
Ebenezer Mascho, son of John and Sally Mascho, married first Mary daughter of Dan and Eliza Plank, then he married Martha daughter of John Loper and their children were William and Legrande and then he married Elizabeth Tubbs, a widow with two sons, Ben and Sam Tubbs.
John Mascho, son of John and Sally Mascho, married Eliza daughter of Ben and Sarah George and their children were Frantz, Matilda and Anson. Later he married Frances daughter of Wm. and Susannah Stocker Kizer.
Frantz Mascho, son of John and Eliza Mascho, married Sarah daughter of Jacob and Eunice Grantier and their children were Ed and Eunice who married John Moore.
Charles W. Mascho, son of Charles and Sarah Mascho, married Maria daughter of John and Laura George and their children were Amarilla (Rilla) who married Chas. Steward and Rosetta who married Basil King.
Karvey Mascho, son of Chas. and Sarah Mascho, married Ellen daughter of Anderson Burdick and their children were twin daughters who died young and Anderson.
Sevelon (Vell) Mascho, son of Chas. and Sarah Mascho, married Ellen daughter of Chas. and Marilda Seeley and their children were Carrie who married Melvin Loomis, Belle who married Frank Hess, Charles, Mattie who married Wm. Grinolds, Laura who married Geo. Bathrick, John, Harry and Albert.
Stephen Lane, son of Capt. Joseph and Susannah Ives Lane, married Jane daughter of John and Olive George and their children were William and Juillette who married Jim Davis.
William Lane, son of Stephen and Jane Lane, married Ida daughter of George and Janette Davis and their children were Bessie and Arthur.
Solomon Thomas, son of Ezekiel Thomas, came here about 1830. His wife was Charlotte daughter of John and Deborah Joseph and their children were James who married Lorinda George, George, Deborah, John, Alice who married Henry Mack, Amy and Solomon Jr.
James Thomas, son of Solomon and Charlotte Thomas, married Lorinda daughter of Wm. and Sabrina George and their children were Giles, Gertrude and Dorr.
John Thomas, son of Solomon and Charlotte Thomas, married Carrie daughter of W. R. Watkins and their child was Lena.
Alice Thomas, daughter of Solomon and Charlotte Thomas, married Henry Mack and their children were Reed who married Vesta McPeek, Lottie, Iona and Robert.
Peter (LaFlamme) Kilburn came here in 1854. His wife was Sophia Burch and their children were Sarah who married John Bush, Jonas, Serena who married Jack Bush and Jane who married Joe Bush and Solomon.
Jonas Kilburn, son of Peter and Sophia Kilburn, married Libbie Wakley and their children were Walter, Lola, Madge and Mary who married Dave Murdock.
Peter (Buchette) Bush came here in 1854. He and his wife had each been previously married and each had three children. The ones who came here were John Bush and Louise St. George who married Nat Seeley. Peter and Martha Bush’s children were Fred, Gertrude who married Chas. Meade, Lillian who married Del Mack then Geo. Haxton, Nat, Jess, Arthur Peter, Earl and Nearl.
John Bush, brother of Peter Bush, came here in 1854. He married Sarah daughter of Peter and Sophrona Kilburn and their children were Julius, Sadie and Elsadie who married Jud Gleason.
Joseph Bush, brother of Peter Bush, came here in 1854. He married Jane daughter of Peter and Sophrona Kilburn and their children were Claudia, Maude and Dora who married Otis Boom.
Jackson Bush, brother of Peter Bush, came here in 1854. He married Serena daughter of Peter and Sophrona Kilburn and their children were Rose who married Elmer Holmes, Minnie who married Ed Bell, Nettie who married Robert Wakley, Flossie and Commodore.
Eugene Boulio came here in 1858. His wife was Polly Bush and their children were Mary who married Ashley Davis, Ellen who married Andrew Perry, Reuben, Henry and others.
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