The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1876-07-20
CENTENNIAL HISTORY
MONROE COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA.
by WILLIAM S. REEs.

-.
On the first settlement of the Province
(now State) of Pennsylvania, three original
To,nties were established, as follows ::
Bncks. Chester and Philadelphia, and on
the llth day of March 1852, Northampton.
lcld mother Northampton was formed from
= mart of Bucks. Out of the territory taken
from Bucks at that time, there have been
frmcd ) Counties and part of the 9th,
Consequently the County of Northampton
cot the name Of mother of Counties "Old
Mother Northampton. One hundred
wears ago, March 2lst, 1776, the first
i'bunty was formed from Northampton,
and was named after one of the Generals
then fighting for our liberty and Indepen7
dence, General Anthony Wayne, (called
Mad Anthony Wayne, or, the fighting
Quaker, of Chester County, Pa.) March
1st. 1911, Schuylkill County was formed
from parts of Northampton and Berks and
Lehig was formed from Northampton on
the 9th day Of March, 1872. During the
second war, about one year after the death
of General Zebulon Montgomery Pike,
zone of the Generals of our second war;
on the 26th day March, 1914, Pike County
was formed from the County of Wayne,
and on ''All fools day April 1st 1886,
Monroe (the namesake of President
Mouroe) was formed from part Of North
ampton and Pike, therefore our County
originated from Little Pike" and cold
Mother Northampton, with "Old Bucks"
one of the original Counties for Grand
father The presumption is the first settle
ment within the boundaries OF the State Of
Pennsylvania, was in what is now the
County of Monroe, at Shawnee, by the
Low Dutch or Hollanders probably descen-
dants of the Dutch that took Holland). In
1857 Samuel Preston of Wayne County,
went on his first surveying tour into North
ampton County, at that time he was Deputy
under John Lukehs, surveyor General and
received from him his instructions, and
also the following account or narrative in
regard to the settlement above kittatinny,
or Blue Mountains That the settlement
was made a long time before it was known
to the government in Philadelphia. That
when government was informed of the settle
lncut. they passed law, in 1929, that any
purchases Of the Indians should be void,
and the purchasers indicted for torciJle en-
try and detainer. according to the laws of
England. That in 1870 they appointed an
agent to 90 and investigate the facts; that
the agent so appointed was the famous sur
vevOr Nicholas Scull; that he John Lukcns,
was Nicholas Scull's apprentice, tc carry
chain and learn surveying; that he accom-
panied Nicholas Scull As they both un-
derstood and could talk Indian, they hired
Indian guides and had a fatiguin@ journey,
there being then no white inhabitants in the
upper part of Bucks or Northampton
Counties That they had very great diff
Guilty to lead their horses through the Water
Gap to Meeucsink flats. which were all
settled with Holanders with several they
could only be understood In Indian ''The
first thing that struck his admiration Was a
grove Of apple trees, Of size far beyond any
ncar PHILADELPHIA" That Samuel DepuiS
tod them that when the rivers were frozen
lie had a good road to Eusopus from the
Mine Hole. on the Mine Road. some hun
dred miles that he took his wheat and
cider there, for salt and nccessaries and did
not appear to have any knowledge or idea
where the river Philadelphia market
or being in the government Of Pennsyl-
Yania They (Scull and Lukens) were OF
opinion that the first sttlement Of Hollan-
dcrs, in Meenesink, were many years older
than William PENIS charter and as
Samuel 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 around an old Indian laid his
hand on Nicholas Sculns shoulder and said,
'put up iron string, 90 home! and they
quit and returned The Indians had the
same idea that some people have yet, (for
have run disputed lines where threats were
made, that they would cut the chain, they
had no fears Of the compass doing any mis-
chef, but that iron string was a dangerous
affair." Mr.. Lukens must have been mis-
taken as to the year being 1880, for | have
copy of a draft, (Which ] copied from the
orlGlnal) Of a survey made several years
before that time and | think it is the oldest
survey in Monroe county, and is as follows:
In the draft, 50 acres, 6 acres allowed, 90
acres, the Shawnee town, inside is a draft,
and underneath the draft is the following
words: 'The draft Of tract Of land situa-
ted near the Minnessink, in the County Of
Bucks, containing SO acres, surveyed for
VIM Allen, of Philadelphia city, by virtue
OF. warrant from the Proprietaries Trus-
tees bearing date of the 10th Of November
Il27, for surveying to VIM Penn, the Pro
prletarie's grandson, 10000 acres Of land
In the province, the right whereof is now
vested in said VIM. Allen; certified by
Jacob Taylor. n. B. The above tract
contains 50 acres with allowance Of 6 per
cent" On the draft is the following endorse
ment the lands at Shawnee town above. Ia
connection with the above l would state
that VIM. Penn, the founder of Pennsylva-
MA was born Oct. 16, 1864, nearly 232
Years ago, and March 4, 1851, when in his
9th ,b+,I,,I II, nla,l lao