William McKarrican, Lazarus Stewart; lieutenant, Lazarus Stewart, Jr.; ensigns: Mr. Plumb, from an old fly-leaf inscription of Elisha Blackman, gives the following as the killed" and "escaped" as the names of his company that were Han Over men: 66 Killed: Capt. J. Bidlack, Lieut. A. Stevens, Sergt. D. Spafford, E. Fish, P. Weeks, B. Weeks, J. Weeks, P. Wheeler, T. Brown, S. Hutchinson, S. Cole, T. Fuller, E. Sprague, C. Avery, I. Williams, James Wigton. Escaped: Sergt. D. Downing, S. Corey, J. Garrett, Joe Elliott, G. Slocum, E. Blackman, J. Fish, P. Spafford, D. McMullen, Thomas Porter, Solomon Bennett. As stated, Hanover was parceled in three divisions--first, second and third. Each of these divisions was cut into thirty-one lots, twenty-eight to Capt. Stewart and his men, and three to "public use. In the first division the lots were fortytwo rods wide and reached from the Susquehanna river to the township line beyond the top of Big mountain and contained 430 acres each. In the second division were twenty-eight lots, divided among the same men and such associates as had come in. In the first division were the following, with the number of the lots to each: Capt. Lazarus Stewart, 1, 2 and 3; Lazarus Stewart, Jr., 4 and 5; John Donahow, 6; David Young, 7; Capt. Lazarus Stewart, 8; William Graham, 9; John Robinson, 10; James Robinson, 11; Thomas Robinson, 12; Josias Aspia, 13; Hugh Caffion, 14; John Franklin, 15; Robert Young, 16; John Young, 17; William Young, 18; William Stewart, 21; Thomas Robinson, 20; James Stewart, 21; William Young, 22; Capt. Stewart, 23, 24; William Stewart, 25; Charles Stewart, 26; William Stewart, 27; Silas Gore, 28; parsonage lot, 29; public lot, 30; public or local lot, 31. Silas Gore had sold in 1772 his settling right in Wilkes-Barre and took one in Hanover. John Franklin had owned a settling right (unknown where), sold and took one in Hanover. Joseph Morse had owned a settling right in Plymouth and sold and took one in Hanover. Capt. Lazarus Stewart built his residence and block-house on lot 3, afterward known as Alexander Jameson's, on a rise about midway between the river road and the river bank. Here was his family when he was slain in battle. All these houses were burned after the battle. Mr. Plumb thinks the township built its block-house in 1776, about three miles farther down the river, or two miles above Nanticoke, but the exact spot is not known. At the township block-house wherever it was, was where Roswell Franklin made so many gallant defences against attacks. There were several block-houses in Hanover in 1778, as all people then who lived here had to live mostly in stockades, and often defend them to the death. One of these defence-houses stood many years a short distance east of the late Samuel Pell's place. Even the ordinary cabins during the seventies were loopholed for defencive firing. Christopher Hurlbut in his journal speaks of the "murder of John Jameson at Hanover Green in 1782, near where the church was afterward built." The township records from 1770-1 to 1776 are lost, and no trace of them can now be found. James Lasley was required to notify all the proprietors to meet at the residence of Titus Hinman, March 25, 1776. At the meeting John Jameson was moderator, and James Lasley, clerk. Capt. Lazarus Stewart, William Stewart, John Franklins, Titus Hinman and Robert Young were appointed a committee of said district. Six acres were voted on which to build a meeting-house. April 25 following another meeting, Caleb Spencer, moderator, same clerk. It was voted that the two roads to the Newport line be six rods wide. A meeting May 1 following, Titus Hinman, moderator, same clerk, provided for the second land alotment; the second division as follows: Robert Young, 29; Charles Stewart, 19; William Young, 22; Thomas Robinson, 26; Capt. Lazarus Stewart, 9; Lazarus Stewart, Jr., 18; Hugh Coffrin, 24; James Robinson, 21; Capt. Lazarus Stewart, 14, 31; William Stewart, 7; William Young, 25; John Donahue, 15; William Stewart, 10; Capt. Stewart, 28; William Stewart, 20; Thomas Robinson, 30; Elijah Inman, 12; Lazarus Stewart, Jr., 8; Capt. Stewart, 4; William Graham, public lot, 16; John Young, 3; John Robinson, 11; James Stewart, 2; Silas Gore, 13; David Young, 17; parsonage lot, 6; public lot, 5; Josias Aspiey, 23, and John Franklin, 27. There were other settlers at this time in the township; the Hopkins, Campbells, Caldwells, Spencers, Bennetts, Hibbards, Jamesons, Humans, Wades, Lasley, McKarrican, Espy, Line and Pell. By the time of this drawing, James Coffrin (Cofron, Cockron or Cochrane), had erected a gristmill. In the drawing William Graham (Grimes or Greames), drew the lot and Coffrin purchased the mill site of him. Coffrin deeded lot 1, second division, to John Comar. The first roads were the "River road" and the "Middle road." Lazarus Stewart made the first transfer of land in the township; November 25, 1772, to David Young. The next month Young sold the same to Thomas Robinson. May 8, 1774, James and John Robinson sold lot 7, first division, to Richard Robinson; June 11, 1774, Ebenezer Hibbard sold to Cyprian Hibbard; October 13, Ebenezer Hibbard to Edward Spencer; October 25, Robert Young to Samuel Howard; July 1, 1775, Silas Gore to Samuel Ensign; July 13, 1776, John Jameson to William and Cyprian Hibbard; August 30, 1776, Lazarus Stewart, Jr., to William McKarrachan, lot 8, second division; Robert Young to Samuel Gordon (no date); John Franklin to Samuel Gordon; June 16, 1776, James Coffrin to John Comer; September 11, Lazarus Stewart, Jr., to Nathaniel Howard (land not divided); September 11, Mathew Hollenback to Samuel Ensign; January 15, 1777, William McKarrachan to Gideon Booth, Jr.; February 5, Silas Gore to William McKarrachan; March 15, John Franklin to Nathan Howell; March 19, Gideon Baldwin to Caleb Spencer; Caleb Spencer to Peleg Burritt; May 2, William Hibbard to Cyprian Hibbard; May 13, Margaret Neill to Richard Robinson; May 20, James Lasley to Jenks Corey; May 25, Dr. Samuel Cooke to John Stoples; June 24, Mathew Hollenback to John Hollenback; June 24, Mathew Hollenback to James Lasley; July 6, James Coffrin (Cochran) to John Comer; September 9, William McKarrachan to John Ewings; September 12, Peleg Burritt to Gideon Burritt; November 12, John Hollenback to (Deacon) John Hurlbut; January 15, 1778, William Stewart to Cyprian Hibbard. James Coffrin's (or Cochran's) mill, in Hanover, was attached February 28, 1777, at the suit of Nathaniel Davenport, who sued and got judgment for £80 at the September term, 1776, for "enticing and evilly contriving and persuading one Job Scot, who ye Deft. had then agreed and bargained with to build and erect a certain Grist-Mill in said Westmoreland, at a place called Hanover District, etc." A deed in the old Westmoreland Records is found, from Robert Young to Samuel Gordon, dated 1776, for “a tract of land situate on N. branch of Nanticoke creek (No. 16), adjoining and below where John Franklin's line between John Franklin (No. 15), and said Young's lot crosses the creek at the lowest place, and as the said line runs from one branch to the other, thence on the high bank runs on both sides of the creek down to the bank, next above the fence of John Ewing. Nanticoke and Solomon's creeks were regarded as good mill power. Solomon's creek about half way up the mountain, was Gen. William Ross' mill, just below the beautiful cascade, and to this day it is a famed resort for lovers of nature. Anthracite coal is found in the township everywhere from the river to the mountains. At a town meeting of Hanover town, January 31, 1789, it was provided to allow Elisha Delano to build a sawmill on lot 29, first division, the mill to be built within the next year. The other portion of lot 29 was leased to Fredrick Crisman. This was the old "Red Tavern " lot, the name of the noted old hostelry. The mill finally was a gristmill and known as the "Behee mill." The Red tavern was built by Crisman on the "six-rod road" about 1789 and partly rebuilt in 1805; here the town meetings were held. An early industry was that of Ishmael Bennett, making grindstones at the foot of Little mountain, a short distance from the present Hanover Coal company's breaker. At Warrior gap whetstones were made. List of taxables in Hanover in 1796: John Alden, Abraham Adams, David Adams, Edward Adgerton, Nathan Abbott, Jonas Buss, Elisha Blackman, Jr., Stephen Burrett, Gideon Burrett, Joel Burrett, Thomas Brink, Rufus Bennett, Ishmael Bennett, Frederick Crisman, Nathan Carey, William Caldwell, Elisha Delano, Richard Diely, Richard Diely, Jr., George Espy, Samuel Ensign, Jacob Flanders, Jacob Fisher, Cornelius Garrettson, Andrew Gray, John Hames, Benjamin Hopkins, John Hendershot, Henry Huber, Jacob Holdmer, William Hyde, Ebenezer Hibbard, Calvin Hibbard, John Hurlbert, Naphtali Hurlbert, Christopher Hurlbert, Willis Hyde, John Jacobs, John Jacobs, Jr., Edward Inman, Richard Inman, John Inman, Elijah Inman, Jr., Jonathan Kellogg, Conrad Lyons or Lines, Conrad Lyons or Lines, Jr., James Lesley, John Lutzey, John Lockerly, Adrian Lyons or Lines, Michael Marr, Thomas Martin, Samuel Moore, J. S. Miller; Darius Preston, Josiah Pell, Benjamin Pott, Josiah Pell, Jr., John Phillips, Jeremiah Roberts, John Ryan, John Robinson, David Robinson, James A. Rathbone, George Rouch, George Stewart, Edward Spencer, David Stewart, James Stewart, Dorcas Stewart, Josiah Stewart, William Stewart, Daniel Simons, Peter Steel, David Steel, Abraham Sarver, Christian Saune, Archibald Smiley, John Spencer, John Treadway, Nathaniel Warden, Abner Wade, Arthur Van Wie, Ira Winter, Ashbel Wallis and William Young. Total, 91. This would indicate a population of about 473, and it should be remembered included all the territory to the Lehigh river. About one-half of that district was cut off in 1839 and again reduced in 1853. The mills in Hanover and on Mill creek were built about the same time, about 1775. A sawmill and forge were about the same time built near Coffrin's mill, but Mr. Plumb thinks the last named was just across the line in Newport township. This was the noted Bloomery forge, and it made all the iron from bog ore obtained near by until iron could be shipped in by the canal, cheaper than they could make it at the Bloomery forge, and then that industry ceased-1830. Elisha Delano's sawmill-Behee mills-were built in 1789. In 1826 Jacob Plumb and his son, Charles Plumb, put up their carding machine in this mill-the first carding machine in this region to supercede the universal hand-carding. In 1793 there was a saw and gristmill on Nanticoke creek near where is the Dundee shaft. Plumb thinks this was probably Petatiah Fitch's mill, as it was assessed to him in 1799. The land on which the mill stood was afterward the property of Jonathan Robins. In 1840 Holland built his railroad from his mines at the mountain to the Hanover canal basin. Near Fitch's mill, a few rods down the creek, was a clover-mill, "an old mill," Mr. Plumb says, "in 1840." Another ancient and passed-away millsite and mill was where is now the Petty mill, on Solomon's creek below Ashley borough. One of its little queer millstones can still be seen. Nathan Wade built his sawmill about the same time of those mentioned above at "Scrabbletown" (now Ashley). About the beginning of this century roads were cut through Hanover township leading to Wilkes-Barre, Easton, Stroudsburg and Sunbury and in other directions. They were simply "cutout" roads, but it now became possible to get about from place to place after a fashion; fords were improved and a few bridges began to span the small deep streams. They were the promise of the coming turnpikes and bridges, as the latter were blazing the way for the canal, and it in turn to become a roadbed for the railroad. The Easton and Wilkes-Barre turnpike was completed in 1807. Then Wilkes-Barre did all its transportation by wagons on the turnpike or Durham boats on the river. The first railroad in Hanover was in operation in 1843-the Lehigh & Susquehanna-from Wilkes-Barre to White Haven. It crossed the mountain, commencing its incline plane at Ashley. The first locomotive over the road was in 1848, as told in the account of White Haven. There The total resident taxpayers in Hanover on the roll of 1799 was 102. were 2 gristmills, 2 sawmills, 2 distilleries, 10 single men, 3 blacksmiths, 2 physicians, 1 cooper, 2 carpenters and 2 stores. The list of names was very little changed from that of 1796, previously given. According to the census of 1800 there was a total population of 613-1 negro slave. A mail route, weekly, was established, and passed through Hanover township in 1797. This went around from Wilkes-Barre, through Hanover, Nanticoke, Newport, Nescopeck to Berwick and returned to Wilkes-Barre via Huntington and Plymouth. There was no postoffice on all this route, and the postman simply delivered mail to all those he could find or left it with their friends if prepaid. In 1809 the taxables in Hanover had increased to 125; 90 dwellings, 148 horses, 4 gristmills. In 1820, population, 879; 120 dwellings, 4 gristmills, 1 clovermill and 16 unmarried young men; 13 non-naturalized foreigners; 135 engaged in farming; 30 manufacturing and 1 merchant. The Bloomery forge is mentioned and valued at $600, employing 2 hands and using 150 tons of bog ore. Mr. Plumb gives the names of the inhabitants of Hanover in 1830 as they appear on the assessor's roll: William Askam, William Askam, Jr., Jacob Andrew, Silas Alexander, William Apple, Rufus Bennett, Rufus H. Bennett, Nathan Bennett, Thomas Bennett, Thomas R. Bennett, Josiah Bennett, Andrew V. Buskirk, Elisha Blackman, Henry Blackman, George Behee, John Bobb, William Brown, Thomas Brown, Joseph Barnes, William Burney, Jacob Bideler, Benjamin Carey, Benjamin Carey, Jr., Elias Carey, Comfort Carey, Benjamin Carey (third), Besherrow Crisman, John Carver, Daniel Colghlazer, Peter Caldren, Jacob Deterick, Fredrick Deterick, George Deterick, Robert Downer, Dayton Dilley, Jesse Dilley, James Dilley, Richard Dilley, Bateman Downing, James Decker, Joseph Davis, Jr., Isaac Dershammer, John Dershammer, John Espy, John Frain, John Fredrick, Abraham Frace, John Foust, Peter Fine, Jacob Fisher, Henry Fisher, George Gledhill, Jacob Garrison, John Garrison, Lumen Gilbert, Charles Garringer, Daniel Garringer, John Garringer, Henry George, Jonas Hartsell, Samuel Huntington, John Hendershot, Henry Hoover, John Hoover, Michael Hoover, Amos Herrick, Miller Horton, John Honnis, Joseph Hartzell, Nathan Inman, John E. Inman, Richard Inman, Jr., John Inman, Isaac Inman, Caleb Inman, Israel Inman, Edward Inman. Asa Jones, Alexander Jameson, Robert Jameson, Samuel Jameson, George Kriedler, Daniel Kriedler, George Kocher, George Kocher, Jr., Elizabeth Knock (widow), Joseph Kirkendall, Christin Keizer, Valentine Keizer, Jacob Kintner, Henry Line, John Line, Conrad Line (fourth), James S. Lee, Washington Lee, Fredrick Lueder, John Lueder, Christian F. Lueder, George Lazarus, John Lazarus, Simon Learn, George Learn, Sr., John Lutz, Daniel Lutz, Jacob Miller, Ira Marcy, Henry Minnich, Peter Minnich, Valentine Moyer, John Moyer, George Moyer, Peter Mensch, Christian Mensch, John Mensch, Solomon Mill, Peter Mill, John Mill, Thomas H. Morgan, Eleazer Marble, John Merwine, John Nagle, Christain Nable, Peter Nagle, Jacob B. Overbeck, Samuel Pell, Jacob Plumb, Charles Plumb, Simon H. Plumb, Darius Preston, Hibbard Preston, Williston Preston, Samuel Pease, Samuel Pease, Jr., Joseph Rinehimer, Conrad Rinehimer, Conrad Rummage, Jacob Rummage, Jr., George Rimer, Jacob Rimer, Lorenzo Ruggles, Jacob Rudolph, John Robbins, Elijah Richards, Henry Rinehard, Samuel Rogers, Thomas Rogers, Ashbel Ruggles, Joseph Shafer, Jacob Shafer, Joseph Steele, Henry Sively, George Sively, Charles Streator, Sterling (widow), George Sorber, William Shoemaker, John Sorber, Andrew Shoemaker, George P. Steele, George Stettler, John Saum, Thomas Smiley, John Teal, Rebecca Thomas, William Teeter, James Vandermark, Silas Wiggins, Benjamin Wright, Jonathan P. Willis, Nathan Wade. And the following unmarried men: Stephen Burrett, Henry Burney, John A. Carey, Richard Edgerton, Isaac Fredrick, Daniel Fredrick, Levi Garringer, Jacob Garris, David Inman, Levi Learn, John Rummage, Charles Sterling, Chester Steele. Total, 186. Of these there are living, John A. Carey, Charles Garringer, Daniel Fredrick, John Sorber. Mr. Plumb estimates of these thirty-one have descendants still living in Hanover. These families, the reader will understand, are in this, Wright, Bear Creek, Denison and Foster townships and White Haven. The total number of inhabitants in 1830 was 1,173. About this time, says Plumb, the fanning-mill was first introduced, an era in labor-saving machines-dividing honors with the canal that came at that time. A daily stage now ran from Wilkes-Barre to Easton, passing through Hanover. Then it was only two days to New York or Philadelphia. Nothing could improve upon this luxury until the packet canal came. From the recollections of Julia Anne Blackman Plumb, as they appeared in the Historical Record, we summarize the following: "I was born in 1806. My brother, Harry, went to Nanticoke to live about 1818, when I was about twelve years old. John P. Arndt owned the forge there and a sawmill and other mills, and Harry was a good mechanic, and Arndt got him to move down there and repair and build machinery for the mills and forge. He lived there about two years. On the way there, Askam's house was the first next to us, on the Middle road. He had lived there some years then. "John Shaver lived where Harvey Holcomb afterward lived, where the crossroad turns off toward the river road. I think Pruner lived at the mill on that crossroad, that afterward Jonathan Robins owned, near where the Dundee shaft now is. Henry Sively lived in the little house on the river road, where the Robins or Pruner crossroad comes into the river road. Jesse Crissman once lived in this little house, and perhaps lived there at the time I am speaking of. Sively owned it afterward, and about 1838 George Koker owned it and lived in it, and died there about 1850, I should think. The Pruner or Robins crossroad I think went straight on, at that time, across the river road there, and on down to the river at the mouth of the creek that comes in there. Down the river road toward Nanticoke, the next house was Mr. Arndt's, where Barnett Miller afterward lived. A man by the name of Ebenezer Brown lived at the Pruner, or Robins mill, at that time. He had sons, Daniel and Harry. Mr. Brown had known father in Connecticut before they came here. Father was studying surveying at a school, and Brown was a scholar at the same school. Father was a young man then, in Connecticut, after the Revolutionary war was over, and before he came back here in 1786. Brown lived at the mill only a couple of years; he moved to Kingston, and lived at the west end of the Wilkes Barre river bridge. This would be about 1820. I think there was at that time a log house standing below the Andrus house, toward Nanticoke, two stories high, the upper story the largest, projecting out over the lower one all around the house. It was built during the Indian wars to protect the people from the Indians. Mother's maiden name was Anna Hurlbut, and she lived about a mile above this house, toward Wilkes-Barre. I think old Mr. George Koker, the first of the family here in Hanover, lived in it; the Pells lived next below, toward Nanticoke, where Samuel Pell afterward lived. The Pells, instead of a barn to |