The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1905-04-19
O Il ID II O w M.
BY SAMUEL D. IRWIN.


BY SAMUEL d. IRWIN.
For natural beauty, scenery and location
there is no place on the Tionesta that equals
It, The great flats on the north side of the
creek, are an ideal agricultural situation,
the bold and rugged hills on the south side
of the stream, covered with the green hem
locks is beautiful scenery to behold. The
situation naturally was delightful, the for
ests before the underwood was browsed
and the luxury of the wild flowers and
shrubs were repressed by the beasts Of bur
den and toll, or the labors Of the husband.
man-the streams seemed TO run clearer,
and were certainly more abundant, the cul-
tivation of the soil there uncovered the val
ley and let in the rays of the sun, which
drank up the natural moisture, opening
the assures of the earth where streamlets
flow, while the natural moss on the margin
of the natural fountains and grass was
greeuer and more romantic, shaded as 1t
was by the umbrage of the forest, broken
here and there by the patches cleared many
years before by the Aboriginies for the
raising Of Indian corn and beans, Such,
imagine, must have been the appearance Of
oldtown to the eye of the pioneer.
oLDTOWN.
This is the name by which the
fine body of land on Tionesta creek three
miles above Tionesta is designated and
known. Was it ever town? If 80, when
are questions that naturally arise. After
these two queries are answered the inquir'
ing mind goes further and hopes TO know
what kind of town 1t was-who lived
there?-what is its history?-who gave
1t the name? These various inquiries 1
shall endeavor to answer as well as am
able, having in the past given the subject
some attention.
What is known as 0ldtown was an early
Indian settlement, or village. The partic-
ular tribe that built the village or town,
was undoubtedly the Seneca tribe of the
BTtdb OLA NdllOHSt WIN udu ~ uubll huOub
1870, when they were driven from their
possessions by the warlike Monseys, who
1t is said by Zeisberger and other Moravian
writer's drove out the more peaceful Sene-
cae, along the upper Alles heny aud held
the lands until 1863, when they all left the
upper Allegheny In canoes, and the lands
oa,,a into tb. rnoaaasion nf tha old ~ nj
owners, the Senecas, once more, who held
these lands under their peaceful
chief, Cornplanter, until they became the
possession OF the white man. So it appears
that even in the times of the Aborigines,
the lands around here were held by kind
of "scrambling possession" The Senecas
early perceived that they could not live by
wild meat alone-that is by hunting and
fishing-so their legends say they adopted
agriculture the most extensively Of any of
the Indian tribes. 1t was not strange then
that they built small towns, near fertile
and productive creek and river flats,
cleared small patches of ground and raised
Oolh duu ocdusi auu uequodlu " US thde
most excellent dish known as succotash,
which ii made right is composed of two
thirds corn and the balance beans. Corn
planter by precept and example, it is said,
encouraged the raising of these crops
hence his name we are told. The peculiar
kind of beans which the Indians of western
| rl.va 10 tafn hx,
Schoolcraft, are what is now known as the
Mohawk beans, which are now sold by
every scotsman. They are very prolific,
perhaps the most so of any of this class OF
vegetables. The earliest white settlers
have left their testimony that the large
Oldtown flats abounded with cleared patch
es of land which had been cleared by the
Indians, and cultivated by them also the
fact that the foundations of mud and stone
cabins were quite frequent at Oldtown
along the slight raise or bluff extending
from above where the present bridge cross
es the old mill race far down below where
the present farm houss en- the place is To-
|
would be called the first bench, while
the ancient cleared patches or corn lots
of the Indians were on the lower lands
mostly, where the ground was fertile and
mellow, perfectly adopted to the raising Of
corn aud lentils, the favorite agricultural
food of the Indians of N. w. Pa, as it had
been of the Pequots, Delawares and all the
sea coast tribes. But the Seneca saw the
smoke sin the morning breeze, and the
white mans cottage rise above the trees. u
KINGSLEY.
For in the year 1902, Ebenezer Kingsley
who was one of the first pioneers upon the
waters of the Tionesta first came to Old
town. He had wandered from Genesee Co.
N, Y, came down the Allegheny on rude
raft, with his large family, stopping at the
mouth of Tionesta creek, went up the creel
as far as Oldtown, and being a hunter
more of hunter than a farmer-was no
slow in perceiving that all kinds of desir-
able game abouaded. AS stated he first
settled at Oldtown but soon removed t
what is now called Newtown, because h,
found better hunting grounds there. As g
township of this county was named il
honor of Mr.. Kingsley.a few more remarks
about him may not be foreign to this a IL
Gle. He was man about six feet In height
we'll proportioned, possessed of good judg-
ment, but lacked education. While hospi
table he wanted no neighbors, for as soor
as neighbors came to Newtown he sold hi'
clearing and moved twelve miles away tc