1843 History of  Monroe County, Pennsylvania

Monroe County was taken partly from Pike and partly from Northampton, by the act of April, 1835. Stroudsburg was at the same time selected as the county seat. Length 25 m., breadth 25; area about 600 sq. m. Population in 1840, 9,879. A small portion of this county, in 1843, has been included in the new county of Carbon. The county is generally mountainous; the greater portion of it being occupied by the lofty and desolate ranges of the Pokono, and other sandstone ridges and spurs, underlying the coal formation. In the northwestern part of the county, on the head-branches of the Lehigh, lies an immense body of rather wet land, covered with a dense forest of pine. This place was called, by the forlorn fugitives from Wyoming, the Great Swamp, or the Shades of Deaths-dismal names, and in fact rather more repulsive than the region itself, which promises to open a rich supply of timber for the trade of the Lehigh navigation, and when cleared of its lumber to afford many sites for farms of at least tolerable productiveness. The towering ridge of the Kittatinny mountain rises along the southeastern boundary of the county, and would seem to shut it out from the world below, were it not for the open doors of the far-famed Delaware Water-gap, the Wind-gap, and Smith's gap. Between this mountain and the Pokono are several subordinate parallel ranges, with long narrow valleys of the limestone and slate formations, exhibiting a striking contrast, in their beauty and fertility to the rugged soil of the mountains.

The Delaware washes a portion of the southeastern boundary: its tributaries are Bush kill, Mill cr., Marshall cr., Broadhead's or Analomink cr., with several large branches, and Cherry cr. The tributaries of the Lehigh are the Tobyhanna, several branches of Big cr., and the sources of the Aquanshicola cr. One of the branches of Tobyhanna rises in a small lake, called Long Pond. The country around the heads of these streams, in the northwestern section of the county, is still comparatively a wilderness, and most of its lands are classed as "unseated." The opening of the Lehigh navigation, however, is attracting many lumbermen to that region. The great bulk of the population is distributed along the valley of the Delaware and Broadhead's cr.; and along a belt of some five miles wide, parallel with the Blue mountain. The turnpike road from Easton to Wilkesbarre enters the county through the Wind-gap, and traverses the Pokono ranges towards Stoddartsville. The Lehigh Navigation Co. have extended their works up as far as Wright's cr., 26 miles above Mauch Chunk. The county is settled by people from the lower counties, and from New Jersey. The business is about equally divided between agriculture and lumbering, with some little attention to iron manufacture.

In 1787, the writer went on his first surveying tour into Northampton co. He was deputy under John Lukens, surveyor-general, and received from him, by way of instructions, the following narrative respecting the settlement of Meenesink, on the Delaware, above the Kittatinny, or Blue mountains: That the settlement was formed a long time before it was known to the government in Philadelphia. That when government was informed of the settlement, they passed a law, in 1729, that any such purchases of the Indians should be void, and the purchasers indicted for forcible entry and detainer, according to the laws of England. That in 1730 they appointed an agent to go and investigate the facts ; that the agent so appointed was the famous surveyor, Nicolas Scull; that he, J. Lukens, was then N. Scull's apprentice, to carry chain and learn surveying ; that he accompanied N. Scull: as they both understood and could talk Indian, they hired Indian guides, and had a fatiguing journey, there being then no white inhabitants in the upper part of Bucks or Northampton counties. That they had very great difficulty to lead their horses through the Water-gap to Meenesink flats, which were all settled with Hollanders ; with several they could only be understood in Indian. At the venerable Samuel Depuis's, they found great hospitality, and plenty of the necessaries of life. J. Lukens said the first thing that struck his admiration was a grove of apple-trees, of size far beyond any near Philadelphia. That as N. Scull and himself examined the banks, they were fully of opinion that all those flats had, at some very former age, been a deep lake, before the river broke through the mountain ; and that the best interpretation they could make of Meenesink was, 'the water it gone.' [Doubtful]

That S. Depuis told them that when the rivers were frozen he had a good road to Esopus from the Mine Holes, on the Mine Road, some hundred miles: that he took his wheat and cider there, for salt and necessaries; and did not appear to have any knowledge or idea where the river ran- Philadelphia market-or being in the government of Pennsylvania. They were of opinion that the first settlements of Hollanders in Meenesink were many years older than William Penn's charter; and as S. Depuis had treated them so well, they concluded to make a survey of his claim, in order to befriend him if necessary. When they began to survey, the Indians gathered round: an old Indian laid his hand on N. Scull's shoulder, and said, "Put up iron string-go home !" That they quit, and returned.

I had it in charge from John Lukens to learn more particulars respecting the Mine Road to Esopus, &c. 1 found Nicholas Depuis, Esq., (son of Samuel,) living in a spacious stone house, in great plenty and affluence. The old Mine Holes were a few miles above, on the Jersey side of the river, by the lower point of Pasquarry flat; that the Meenesink settlement extended 40 miles or more, on both sides of the river. That he had well known the Mine Road to Esopus, and used, before he opened the boat-channel through Foul Rifts, to drive on it several times every winter, with loads of wheat and cider, as also did his neighbors, to purchase their salt and necessaries in Esopus, having then no other market, or knowledge where the river ran to. That after a navigable channel was opened through Foul Rifts, they generally took to boating: most of the settlement turned their trade downstream, and the Mine Road became less and less travelled. This interview with the amiable Nicholas Depuis, Esq., was in the month of June, 1787. He then appeared to be perhaps about 60 years of age. I interrogated him as to the particulars of what he knew; as to when and by whom the Mine Road was made; what was the ore they dug and hauled on it; what was the date, and from whence or how came the first settlers of Meenesink, in such great numbers as to take up all the flats, on both sides of the river, for 40 miles. He could only give traditional accounts of what he had heard from older people, without date, in substance as follows:

" That in some former age there came a company of miners from Holland-supposed, from the great labor that had been expended in making that road, about 100 miles long, that they were very rich, or great people in working the two mines; one on the Delaware, where the mountain nearly approaches the lower point of Pasquarry flat; the other at the north foot of the same mountain, near half way between Delaware and Esopus. That he ever understood abundance of ore had been hauled on that road, but never could learn whether it was lead or silver. That the first settlers came from Holland, to seek a place of quiet, being persecuted for their religion. I believe they were Arminians. They followed the Mine Road to the large flats on the Delaware. That smooth cleared land, and such an abundance of large apple-trees, suited their views; that they bona fide bought the improvements of the native Indians, most of whom then removed to Susquehanna. That with such as remained there was peace and friendship, until the year 1755."

I then went to view the Pasquarry Mine Holes. There appeared to have been a great abundance of labor done there, at some former time; but the mouths of these holes were caved full, and overgrown with bushes. I concluded to myself if there ever had been a rich mine under that mountain, it must be there yet, in close confinement. The other old men that I conversed with gave their traditions similar to Nicholas Depuis; and they all appeared to be the grandsons of the first settlers, and generally very illiterate as to dates, or anything relating to chronology.

In the summer of 1789, 1 began to build on this place. There came two venerable gentlemen on a surveying expedition. They were the late Gen. James Clinton, the father of the late De Witt Clinton, and Christopher Tappan, Esq., the clerk and recorder of Ulster co. For many years before they had both been surveyors under Gen. Clinton's father, when he was surveyor, general. In order to learn some history from gentlemen of their general knowledge, I accompanied them in the woods. They both well knew the Mine Holes, Mine Road, &.C., and as there was no kind of documents or records thereof, united in opinion that it was a work transacted while the state of New York belonged to the government of Holland ; that it fell to the English in the year 1664; and that the change of government stopped the mining business. That the road must have been made many years before so much digging could be done; that it must undoubtedly have been the first good road, of that extent, ever made in any part of the U. 8. From the best evidence that I have been able to obtain, I am clearly of opinion that Meenesink was the oldest European settlement, of equal extent, ever made in the territory afterwards named Pennsylvania.

The Depuis house still stands near the Delaware, about five miles east of Stroudsburg. Depuis was a Frenchman, who married a Dutch girl from " "Sopus." The Mine-road ran between Godfrey's hill and the Blue mountain. The Minisink or Monsey tribe of Indians formerly held the whole of the territory in this vicinity, extending up the Delaware; and the Dutch settlements afterwards adopted the same name.

" Dec. 16. Accounts from Bethlehem and Nazareth, that about 200 Indians had broke into Northampton co., beyond the Blue mountains, murdering and burning." " Accounts from Easton, (Dec. 25,) of the whole country up the river being deserted, from that to Broadhead's, who, with his sons and others, defended himself stoutly, till the Indians retired."

This settlement of Broadhead's was probably not far from the mouth of the creek which bears his name, or it might have been near the site of Stroudsburg. One of the sons, who defended themselves so gallantly, was no doubt the same who was afterwards distinguished in the revolution, and in the subsequent Indian wars as Gen. Broadhead. He had command of Fort Pitt about the year 1780; and previous to that had charge of a garrison on the West Branch. He was particularly distinguished for his intrepidity and success in heading small parties of frontier men against the Indians.

Stroudsburg was first settled by Col. Jacob Stroud, of the revolutionary army, who had command here of Fort Penn, and owned about 4000 acres of land in the vicinity. He died in 1806. Previous to his death, he erected three houses-the large roughcast house facing the west end of the street, now (1842) a temperance hotel; another at the east end, still standing; the third was about opposite Hollinshead's tavern in the centre of the town. He refused, however, to sell any lots. After his death, Daniel Stroud, one of his sons, and now a venerable citizen of the place, widened the main street, sold lots as occasion offered, and exacted a condition from the purchasers, (which was inserted in their deeds,) that they should place their houses thirty feet back from the street. Previous to laying out the town, he had travelled through Newark and Elizabethtown, in New Jersey, and some of the New England villages; and determined to impart to his own town the quiet rural air that he had so much admired in those places. The place was selected as the county seat, in 1835, on the organization of the county. Mr. Stroud states that Fort Hamilton, one of the line of frontier posts, extending from the Delaware to the Potomac, erected during the old French war of 1755-58, stood at the west end of the town, nearly opposite the Temperance Hotel. Two soldiers of the garrison, walking among the scrub oaks on the brow of the hill, where the academy now stands, were killed by a party of Indians in ambush. During the revolution Fort Penn was built, near the east end of the village. The road passing through the wind-gap, across the Pokono mountains to Wilkesbarre, was cut by Gen. Sullivan on his memorable expedition against the Six Nations, in 1779, after the battle of Wyoming.

"At the great council held at Easton, in 1758, the Six Nations had observed with no very cordial feelings, the important position which Teedyuscung had attained in the opinion of the whites, by the force of his talents and the energy of his character. Long accustomed to view the Delawares and their derivative tribes as their subject*, the haughty Mengwes could not brook this advancement of a supposed inferior, and the reflection had been rankling in their bosoms ever since the meeting of that council, until it was determined to cut off the object of their hate For this purpose, [Oct., 1763,] a party of warriors from the Six Nations came to the Wyoming valley upon a pretended visit of friendship, and after lingering about for several days, they in the night time treacherously set fire to the house of the unsuspecting chief, which, with the veteran himself, was burnt to ashes. The wickedness of this deed of darkness was heightened by an act of still greater atrocity. They charged the assassination upon the white settlers from Connecticut, and had the address to inspire the Delawares with such a belief. The consequences may readily be anticipated. Teedyuscung was greatly beloved by his people, and their exasperation at the deep damnation of his taking off was kindled to a degree of corresponding intensity. ****

" Thus fell Teedyuscung, who, with all his faults, was nevertheless one of the noblest of his race. Major Parsons, who acted as secretary to the conference with Teedyuscung, in 1756, described him as ' a lusty raw-boned man, haughty, and very desirous of respect and command.' He was, however, something of a wit. A tradition at Stroudsburg states, that he there met one day a blacksmith named Wm. McNabb, a rather worthless fellow, who accosted him with ' Well, cousin, how do you do ?' ' Cousin, cousin '.' repeated the haughty red man, ' how do you make that out ?' ' Oh ! we are all cousins from Adam.' ' Ah ! then, I am glad it is no nearer!' " Col. Stone's History of Wyoming.

" John Carey, the brother of Samuel, is upwards of 80 years old, a hale, hearty old gentleman. He moves about his farm with the apparent strength, if not quickness, of a man of forty. Mr. Carey was born in Dutchess co., New York. He came to Wyoming with his father in 1769, being then about 14 years old. The first settlement was made at Mill creek, where a fortification was erected on a pretty large scale, so that there was a village within it. Around the sides were houses, huts, sheds, and a small store, sufficient for the wants of the inhabitants, kept by Matthias Hollenbach, a very young man from Virginia, who was all life, activity, and enterprise.

" In February of 1770 or '71, the inhabitants got out of provisions. Little grain had yet been raised, and there was no mill within sixty miles to grind it To save the infant settlement from starving, it was resolved to send nine men to the Delaware for flour. Mr. Carey, then about 15, was one of the number. There was neither road nor bridle path, so they made their way through the wilderness on foot. When they came to the Lehigh and other large streams, the party found them open in the middle, but frozen from both shores; so, as they had no alternative, they cut the ice and waded in, and then cut their way out, every one being wet, and nearly perishing with the cold.

" There lived by the Delaware, not far from Stroudsburg, a Scotchman named McDowell, who I shrewdly suspect must have been a Cameronian, out in the year '45; and found it necessary, to escape persecution for religious and political opinions, to emigrate to America. He spoke broad Scotch, and all agree be was a noble-souled, most generous man. How, I do not exactly learn, but he had become the zealous and abiding friend of the Wyoming settlers. The nine arrived in the evening, when they learned there was a wedding in the house ; Mr. McDowell's daughter being that night married (if I have the name aright) to John Shaw,-a name in Bucks co. of great respectability.

" So is the name of McDowell most respectable in Bucks co.; perhaps a descendant.

" I don't know. But there was a crowd of guests, and the nine way-worn and hungry Wyoming boys dare not let it be generally known they were there, lest some enemy should be present, and they should be arrested and sent to Eastern. So they contrived to get word to the good Scotchman, who immediately sent them to the barn-supplied them with a noble supper and every cheering accompaniment-and at daylight the next morning despatched them, the eight men having 75 lbs. of flour each in his sack ; and Mr. Carey being young carried 45. I never think of it but Jacob's children, from Reuben to Benjamin, going down to Egypt, to buy com, presents itself to memory. Having traversed the dreary wilderness, and rewarded the half-frozen streams with their burdens, they arrived safe at Wyoming, to the great relief of all.

" After the revolution the civil wars broke out again. A fort had been built near Toby's eddy, which the opposite party, out-generalling the Yankees, had obtained possession of. Capt. Daniel Gore and Obadiah Gore made a cannon by Doring a Pepperidge log, and hooping it with iron. The first shot did very well; but the second they put in too much powder; the bands broke, the cannon was burst, and some pieces were found on the opposite side of the river.

" All the settlers were expelled, and Mr. Carey again speaks of the almost unbounded kindness and hospitality of Mr. McDowell, not only furnishing the fugitives with provisions, but sending his wagons to take the women and children a day's journey on their route.

" I may here add that, in the revolutionary war, two of Mr. McDowell's sons were at Wyoming, and were taken prisoners at Plymouth by a party of Indians, and one of them kept, I believe, till the close of the war; and one of the old gentleman's granddaughters-a child of one of those who were taken captive-married a distinguished son of Pennsylvania, who now (1838) holds one of the highest seats in the national councils."

Two miles and a half S. E. from Stroudsburg is the little hamlet of Dutotsburg, founded some years since by Mr. Antoine Dutot, a Frenchman, who still resides in the place. It was once a merry place, particularly in the spring, when the lumbermen along the Delaware had occasion to tarry there; but the lumber trade has decreased; business has been transferred to Stroudsburg, and with it the glory of Dutotsburg has departed.

A short distance from Dutotsburg, on the rocky bank of the river, is an excellent hotel, kept by Mr. Brodhead, from which may be had a fine view of the Delaware Water-gap. The following graphic sketch of the scenery about the Gap, is from two letters of Col. Stone's in the Commercial Advertiser of 1839. He approached it from the south.

" That great disturbances of the earth marked the period which closed the formation of the slate, and accompanied the production of the overlying conglomerates and sandstones, is apparent from the coarseness of the ingredients in the latter rocks, the promiscuous manner in which they have been swept together, and especially from the suddenness of the transition between the fine-grained slate, the sediment of very tranquil waters, and the extremely coarse conglomerate directly in contact with it-the whole aspect of which implies that an enormous mass of sand and gravel, derived from strata just broken up, was suddenly strewed into the waters where the slate was forming. But if evidence still more unexceptionable be required of an upheave of the bed of the ancient ocean at the epoch immediately preceding the formation of these rocks, we have it strikingly exhibited at the northeastern end of the formation, where these conglomerates and sandstones occur on the Delaware and Hudson canal near the end of the Shawangunk mountain. They are here displayed near Rondout, resting unconformably, and with a gentle inclination, upon the steeply uptilted, contorted, and disrupted strata of the immediately adjacent slate."-Prof. Rogert' Geol. Rep. 1838.

The narrow pass from which you now emerge is rightly named the Notch, and was evidently cut through on purpose for the main branch of the Saco, which rises in a small lake about a hundred and fifty rods further north. See Job xxviii. 9, 10 : " He putteth forth his hand upon the rock, he overturneth the mountains by the roots. He cutteth out river* among the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing." This is my geology ; for while I have no doubt that immense and accumulating masses of water have sometimes broken through barriers of loose rocks, and afterwards worn away the solid basis for some distance, I have no more doubt that in most cases God made the defiles for the rivers and streams among the mountains, than that he made the mountains themselves. How few of all the hundred little streams that have their rise in Alpine regions, where the mountains are thrown together in the wildest apparent confusion, meet with any serious obstruction on their way to the great lakes and rivers, however remote! We look at them as they spring out of the ground and murmur along at our feet, and then look at the mighty ramparts by which they are hemmed in, and it seems impossible that they should ever escape; but they flow rejoicing on, in the secret channels which He who " poured them from his hand" hath made for them, without ever having to stop, day or night, except it be to rest awhile in some eddy or pool, where they may reflect the bright heavens till they reach the ocean.