The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-04-03
History Of Carbon County.
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Carbon county was taken from North
ampton and Monroe counties by an act
of the Legislature in 1913. Length,
twenty miles; breadth, nineteen miles;
area, Observation-Disclosures square
miles, and is divided by the Lehigh
river into nearly two equal parts. The
county comprises the most mountainous
region on the Lehigh river above the
Kittatinirg or Blue mountains; a region
rugged and wild in appearance, and
poorly adapted to agricultural purposes,
but abounding in mineral wealth, in eX-
tensive forests of pine-lunber and in
water power. The first settlement was
made by the Moravian missionaries in
the year 174G, and was established as
home for the Mohegan Indians, which
was successfully maintained until the
massacre in 1855. This settlement which
was an off-shoot from Bethlehem, was
located on the north side of the Ma
location had, doubtless, been selected by
Lewis Count Zinzendorf, a descendent
of a noble Austrian family, who in 1742
ascended the Lehigh with two friendly
Indians, who had been converted to
christianity as interpreters, AMI held a
conference with the dusky dwellers by
81, 10,
was bought. and town laid out upon
it which was called Gnalen-Hutten,
meaning Tents of Grace" or, more lit
orally translated, Mercy ums." The
congregation, we are told, numbered
five hundred souls. Each Indian FAM
| lily was allotted portion of the land
and had their own homes. A log church
was built in the valley, and the houses
half surrounded it, extending over the
! higher ground in the form of crescent.
| On the 18th of August, 1746, the mis-
sionaries and Indians partook of the
first fruits of the land and of their toll
at a love feast, and gave their thanks to
God for the blessings that he had be-
slowed upon them. DisCourses were
delivered every Sunday by the mssionar-
/ les, and several portions Of the scriptures
|
was read whenever the congregation as
semhled The Holy communion was
administered every month. The day
was called by the Indians. The Great
Day. Christian Rauch and Martin
Mack were the first missionaries who
resided there. The church built during
the first year was too small for the con
grcgation of five hundred, and the mis-
| eli arl, II, . l,n
air. All went well until 1854 when a
part of the Indians were led to desert
the mission and go to the Wyoming
Valley. Efforts to ALLEVIATE the aifec,
tions of Mollegans from the missionar-
les had for some time been making BY
the Shawanese and Dclawares on the
Susquehanna, who had began to waYel
in the their allegiance to the English
and doubtless, looked forward to the
time when they could boldly raid the
settlement. The christian Indians had
until now steadfastlv refused to leave
Gnaden- Hutten. and when finally some
of them did so, it was doubtless through
the influence of that eloquent, willy anC
active chieftain of the Dclawares
Teedyuscung. Teedyuscung was con
verted by the Moravians and baptized
at Gnaden-EIutten, at the age of fifty
years. He lived among them until l75-
when he joined his wild brothers, ant
soon afterwards took up the hatchet
During the same year l754) the mission
was removed to the northeast side o
, the Lehigh. The dwellings were re
moved from the opposite side of th
river and a new chapel was erected an,
Z the place was called New Gnadcn-IIut
) ten (now Weissport) The dwelling
were placed in such order, that Tin
Mohegans lived on one side and tn
Delawarcs' on the other side of til
street. The Moravlans fondly hopet
, that the prosperity of their little colon
: might be increased, that il should re
main permanent abode of peace an
of christianity. But destiny ruled 9th
erwise.
The massacre at Gnaden- Hutton wa
only one incident in the series of borde
= horrOws, but it is the principal one wit
which we are concerned. My limi
! will not admit of giving a thorough aC
count of this interesting incident.
Late in the evening, of the oath @
November, the mission house was al
S tackled by the Indians, who were allie
e of the French, and burned it to tn
, ground, eleven of the inmates perishing
Brother Sensaman, with several Others
escaped, but they had the ineXpressibl
grief of seeing his wife (Sensaman) cor
e sumed by the flames. Sister Parish hi
q herself behind large tee on an eleva
tion, near the scene; and from there sh
) saw Sister Sensaman, surrounded b
e the flames. standing with folded hand:
q and heard her calling ont :" lis all wei
dear Saviour, | expected nothing else
After the enemy had retired the remain
d of the killed were collected from tn
.. charred ruins and inferred. A marbl
slab in our Gnaden-Hutten grave yarl
placed there in l7SS, and a small, whit
l. obelsk, on a sandstone, erected at
;, more recent date, tell in brief the sa
u story of the Gnaden- Hutten, and pr
,, serves the names of those who fell {
victims to savage hate.
. The second settlement was comprise
of people who made "A permanent hon
e here, developed the resources of Il
Il county and ultimately, as a natural r
suit of their thrift and energy, brougl
&c about the organization of Carbon coul
II ty. About 1904, number of ente
ie prislng men, who had the hardihood
It take up the work Of making homes f
themselves In the forest, began TO con