Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-07-01

k37" The following interesting letter foo
Gen. CASE was written to be read at the ha
Pioneer Festival at Montrose 1t is a hnl
ful sketch of the deprivatiols aud trials Inc.
dent to pioneer life-trials which to Us. seen
almost uncomfortable, but which to Our fJ.e5
theirs were not Of snch magnitude. Taeru
many yet living in Bradford, who will re2s
nize in this letter a faithful portrait Of ta
scenes through which they, too, passed na.
DUNG the forest, and making our CJlsr
what it now is, one of the most proluctiy. al
pleasant in the State =
Ny father, Reuben Case, moved from Ga.
vile, Washington Co, ~ Y, in the w.aW
of 1898, and took up two lots Of land BIa
he bought of the State of Conecatcut, StHaa
thcu in Augusta township, Luztrne Co, n7
Troy township, Bradford Co, on which ta1
he built, the summer before, Il log cabin b'a
logs high, (but they were big ones, cOrri
it with bark, flooring and door Of split basvla
plank, with one end of the house left f0raiH
place and chimney, hole left in the barsra
for the smoke to 60 ont In this ShaatI
moved his family, consisting Of q wife and tHrs
children, | being the oldest, then in my esa
year-a"rived there the 9th day ct Mara
lT9S-cut the road for four miles as the g]os
were moved, following along up the cr5ek
At that time there were only Is selt.1
between my fathers cabin and tifc river, 90.
Shesheqnin as it was called) distance OF :.
miles, along mp Sugar creek. Oar Beare
mill was on the river, and ] have frefHcati
been to mill horseback, to John ShCpceflA
some three miles above TOga Point, dstas
of some 80 miles by our then Travelled roaA
Our nearest Heighbor was Nathaniel Ala
five miles down the creek who assisted il co,
ting the road when we moved on the farm !
still reside on the old lot, bat few rods ia
where the first cabin was built At tha, l@
Troy borough was a wilderness, and II i@
the whole western part of what is now b'E
ford, and the most part of fioga County Wy
with the exceptions Of few settlers a'.-
Sugar and Towanda Creeks, and few % Y
Tioga rivera wild wilderness, foil Of S
kinds of game.
Our Mills being at so great distance "
made holes in hardwood Stumps, and WIN
FOUNDER Gas we called them fastened "
springing pole, pounded out our corn, to n's
our bread and hominy. For tea we used =
and for coffee, pine bark and sap from Y
maple trees All was peace among Us
were neighborS and friends; no lawsuits Nv
yerS, nor justices of the Peace needed "
SaltmarSh, who resided at Tioga Point, was =.
nearest Justice for years, and he bad Ii'''
do in his Office. j..
In 1902 We began to have some u'12
about the title to our land. Ptnnsl'JI
claimed it, and sent on men to survey F"
the settlers would not allow them to SI',-
and drove them off-Shot somc--a Mr. uO.r
was shot at what was called Peters C"L.
on the Tfoga river, near BoSsburg ana ~ ~
tarred and feathered man by the name "
Smiley, burned up his papers, but let 'u|
lie had been and procured contracts IRON ~
of the settlers, for the pnrchase mont,
their lots, and was then on Towanda CIV
getting others to contract, but they, the NV .,
Indians, as they were called burnt up COW"
and maps and after using coat OF ~
feathers, and short ride on a rail, they 's'1 s',
cd to their several wgwams This ""f s.Ta @
Tor few years only, for the settlers "" ,ar5
that Pennsylvania owned the land ''.'
missed and bought their farms over aS''
1906, and Z, think. r,i.r
In lSl0 we were organized into l@" 's,m
4 = - l,,I. &
lIe house Of VIM. Means, in what was ,lII ,lII'
ed Meaisvillc, in his ballroom, ~ ilIIt;sB N
IL | attended the FIRST Court d q"
County, and all the ha>'ncss wa dr'''