HUNTINGTON TWP.-This and Fairmount township are the richest agricultural
portions of Luzeme county. Not only noted as the well-to-do land of farmers, but here is that
superior general intelligence and refinement, as well as better culture, that mark the entire
length and breadth of beautiful Huntington valley as the most favored place after all in the
county. This entire region is without a railroad, without a town that deserves the name, and
in the two townships there is but one licensed hotel. A. licensed hotel is a place where
liquors are sold. There are places for the entertainment of strangers, plenty of them, but
licensed hotels there is but one, and that is away up in the mountain, on the old turnpike,
where was a tollgate. This bespeaks the morals as well as the thrift and intelligence of the
people of this favored locality. Huntington valley runs along north and south through the two
townships, is not a valley after the fashion of the Wyoming valley. It is rolling, might be
called, perhaps, better a " second bench," but is, until you strike the mountains in the north
of Fairmount township, all a fine quality of arable land. The farmers find their outlet to
Shickshinny on the river by a turnpike road, and in an early day the old Berwick turnpike
led north to Elmira and south to Berwick. Huntington is one of the seventeen "certified
townships" laid out by the Susquehanna. company and confirmed by acts of the assembly
passed in 1799. Under the Connecticut title, previous to 1776, it was known as
"Bloomingdale township," and the name was changed to Huntington in 1799 in- honor of
Samuel Huntington, a native of Windham, Conn., who was one of the signers of the
Declaration of Independence. This township lay across an ancient and well-trodden path of
the red man, and in his travel to and from the western frontier during the dark days of
border warfare, the few settlers suffered greatly in the loss of some of their number, who
were murdered or taken prisoners, to say nothing of the stock and provisions taken and
destroyed by the savages. The first settler was John Franklin. He came from Connecticut in
the spring of 1775, as one of the Susquehanna proprietors under the Connecticut claim. He
located on Huntington creek below what is now Hublersville (Huntington Mills), where he
built a log house and spent most of the summer with his family. He returned to his native
State in the autumn on account of the difficulties arising between this country and Great
Britain. Levi Seward, from Connecticut, located in 1776 in the north part of the township,
and from him has sprung a large and respectable family. Nathaniel Goss came in 1776 and
located on the farm now known as the Howard hotel property at Huntington Mills. The tract
of 334 acres on which he settled was granted to Henry Marks by letters patent dated April
4, 1775. In 1782 or 1783 Abraham Hess settled near the head waters of Fishing creek, in
the northwest part of the township. He came from New Jersey and was the progenitor of a
large and influential family. Stephen Kingsbury was one of the pioneers locating where J.
W. Kingsbury now lives, near Town Hill. He was a surveyor and assisted in the original
survey of Huntington township. Reuben Culver arrived from Connecticut February 14, 1795,
and located in the west part of the township, where Oliver Culver lived. The latter was born
March 18, 1795, on his present farm. Reuben Culver was the father of a numerous family
who have married into some of the first families of this County. Abel Fellows, Stephen
Harrison and Samuel and Amos Franklin in 1777 1ocated in the southwest part of the
township, where many of their descendants still reside. From 1778 Thomas Williams, one of
the pioneers who escaped from Forty fort, lived at the foot of Knob mountain during the
remainder of his life. , Solon Trescott was born in Sheffield, Mass., in 1750, and located in
Huntington in June, 1778. He built a log house near Col. E. L. Trescott's. About a month
after he came he and Solomon Gas and Thomas and Samuel Williams were warned by the
military authority to appear at Forty fort for the defence of the inhabitants against the
Indians and tories. There they were taken prisoners, but escaped the same night, and
reached their homes in Huntington on the night of the third day. They sought safety in
Connecticut in the autumn of that year. Alter a few years Mr. Trescott returned, to find that
a chestnut tree had grown up through the middle of his mansion. HA left it 88 a monument to
mark the place of his pioneer hut and built. another and better log house a short distance
from the old one, which he occupied for many years. .His father, Samuel Trescott, held a
proprietary right in Huntington under the Connecticut claim, and was one of the original
surveyors of the township. Col. Edward L. Trescott was one of the early settlers and was
actively interested in local military affairs, serving as major fourteen years, lieutenant
-colonel seven years, and colonel seven years, and in his last years was an aide on the staff
of Gov. Bigler, of this State. He was a great hunter, and killed with his own rifle more than a
thousand deer in this township, besides a large number of bears and panthers. John Dodson
was born in Northampton county, Pa., February 26,1771, and located in Huntington in 1796.
He was the first Pennsylvanian who settled in this township, all other settlers having come
from States east of this. He was a prominent and enterprising farmer, and died May 9,
1859, leaving a widow and eighteen children. Joseph Dodson located in Huntington township
in 1806, on the farm where he died in 1851. He was prominently identified with all the
progressive interests of his adopted township. He was the father of twelve children. John
Koons located in what is now New Columbus borough in 1819, and became one of the most
prominent men in this part of the township. He was largely interested in the Nanticoke &
Hughesville and the Susquehanna & Tioga turnpikes. In 1836 he was appointed postmaster
of New Columbus, and in 1858 became interested in the building of the Academy and
Normal institute at that place. He was appointed by Gov. Shonk one of the judges for
Luzerne County. He built the Wyoming Valley canal from Shickshinny to the Search farm.
He was a justice of the peace from 1871 to 1876. He was a surveyor and a merchant at. New
Columbus. He died February 13, 1878. Jabez Matthias and Reuben Williams were also
early settlers. Jabez came in 1798. John Johnson located near or on the town line road, east
side of the township, and was soon followed by Earl Tubbs and Stephen Davenport.
Jonathan Westover located near Pine creek, in the northwest part. of the township, and
Peter Wygant on the hill above Jameson Harvey's place. The Monroe family were early
settlers on Huntington creek. Amaziah Watson settled just below the Scott house, on the
Huntington creek road. Other settlers were William Brandon, a Methodist preacher, and
William, Jared and John Edwards, who immigrated from Ireland soon after the close of the
Revolutionary war.. Thomas Patterson, born in Scotland and educated in Ireland, located in
Huntington about 1799, in the northeast. part of the township. Mrs. Minerva T. Patterson
now lives on the old homestead Her grandmother, Margaret Louise, was a cousin of Louis
XIV. of France. The grandmother of Thomas Patterson was a sister of Lord Montgomery,
of Scotland. Thomas Patterson's wife was a daughter of Col. Nathan Denison, of Wyoming
valley fame. Among the other early settlers previous to 1800 were Amos, Samuel and Silas
Franklin, Richard Williams, David Woodward, Stephen C. Kingsbury, Thomas Tubbs, John
Chapin, George Stewart, Peter Chambers, Nathan Tubbs, Jonathan Fellows, E. Wadsworth,
Benjamin Fuller, Robert Wilson, Stephen Sutliff, Stephen Harrison (in 1796) and Levi
Seward, who came here in 1776. Obadiah Scott, who settled on Huntington creek, about two
miles below Hublersville, built the first frame house. It is still standing, and is known as the
" old Scott house," John Koons had a clothmill at an early date, and was also engaged in
the mercantile business. besides carrying on a large farm. He was a soldier in the War of
1812. He is now living at New Columbus. Epenetus Wadsworth, grandfather of P. C.
Wadsworth, located in 1794 near Town Hill. He was the first blacksmith in Huntington. He
burned charcoal for himself and others. He was also the pioneer horticulturist, having set
out an orchard on his lot. in 1799, in which most of the trees are still in bearing and afford a
good quality of fruit. The Indian trail from Shickshinny to Williamsport crossed his farm
near the brick schoolhouse of Town Hill. The well beaten path is still visible. Mr.
Wadsworth was an extensive land operator for those days, and was also a local preacher.
Thomas Harvey, an Englishman, located at Harveyville and opened a shop,where he carried
on blacksmithing several years. This was soon after the advent of "Deacon Wadsworth."
The pioneer tanner and shoemaker was Benjamin Fuller. He located near Huntington creek,
not far from the Larned place. The first grist- mill was a log structure, built, in 1788, with
one run of stones, by Mr. Hopkins, at the mouth of Marsh creek. He built a sawmill at the
same place. Nathaniel Goss, grandfather of the present Nathaniel Goss. built a gristmill on
the stream that empties into Huntington creek from the north. on the north side of the old
Goss fann, now owned by A. Howard. It would grind about three bushels of corn per day. It
was first run by hand, and subsequently by water power. Nathaniel Goss, Jr., built, the mill
known as the Workheiser mill, which stands on the opposite side of the stream from the old
one; The land on which Hopkins' mill stood was donated for mill purposes by the
Susquehanna Company. In 1798 Nathan Beach built the Rogers mill on Marsh creek.
Bacon's carding and fuIling-mill was built on Huntington creek in 1817. The gristmill at
Harveyville was originally built in 1798, and replaced in 1837 by a new one, which was
subsequently burned, and the present one built in 1869. The taxable inhabitants of
Huntington in 1796 were: Elijah Austin, Ralph Austin, James Benscoter, Elam Boname,
Henry Baker, Anthony Benscoter, Andrew Blancher, Isaac Bensooter, Daniel Culver,
Aaron Culver, Reuben Culver, Reuben Blish, Darius Callender, John Chapin, James
Earles, John. Evans. John Fayd, Silas Ferry, Abiel Fellows, Ovil Fellows, Samuel Franklin,
Daniel Fuller, Benjamin Fuller, George Fink, Amos Franklin, Nathaniel Goss, Elijah
Goodwill, Doctor Gaylord, Philip Goss, Timothy Hopkins, Stephen Harrison, William
Harrison, Caleb Hoyt, Samuel Hover, Emanuel Hover, Nathan Jennings, Joseph Kingsbury,
Samuel King, Moses Lawrence, Elias Long, John Long, Rufus Lawrence, Jr., Rufus
Lawrence, Sr., Joseph Moss, Nathan Monroe, John Miller, Solon Trescott, Gideon Post,
Joseph Potter, John Potter, Jerry Preston, Loyd Marshall, Elijah Wood, Sr. , Elijah Wood,
Jr. , Abel Sutliff, Miles Sutliff, Thomas Stephens, Jonathan Stevens, Amos Seward, Barney
Sutliff, Eli Seward, Enos Seward, Jr., Enos Seward, Sr., Gad Seward. Obadiah Scott, Jesse
Scott, Obadiah Scott" Jr., Abraham Smith, Thomas Tubbs, Thomas Taylor, Nathan Tubbs,
Earl Tabus, Nathan Tubbs, Jr., Job Tripp, Jabez WilIiams, Uriah Williams, Thomas
Williams, Tarball Whitney, Daniel Warner, John Wandall and David Woodward. The old
turnpike running from Berwick to Towanda ran across the north part of this township,
passing through the village of Cambra. The road was built about 1812; daily lines of stages
passed over it each day. It was abandoned as a stage route about 1840, and as a toll road
about 1845. The first road laid out. in this township was the one through the Huntington
Creek valley. Soon other roads were surveyed and worked. April 1, 1836, a charter was
granted to the Nanticoke and Hughesville Turnpike company, the road to run from
Nanticoke Falls to Hughesville, Lycoming county, passing, through New Columbus. The
Union Turnpike Road company was formed in 1875, and was chartered in 1876. The charter
allows the company to extend its road from Shickshinny through the township of Huntington
to Fairmount springs. The road is now completed about six and a half miles from
Shickshinny to the Huntington creek valley. The Stockholders, N. B. Crary, J. W.
Stackhouse, B. D. Koons, William .A.. Campbell, F. .A.. B. Koons, S. F. Monroe and D. G.
Larned. The Columbus Male and Female academy is the chief thing about the borough of
New Columbus. It was built in 1858 by issuing 152 shares of $!0 each, all subscribed and
paid for by seventy-two persons. The most prominent men in founding this excellent
institution were D. L. Ohapin and John Koons. By their and others efforts the township was
made an independent school district under the statute. New Columbus became an organized
borough in 1859. While it takes in considerable territory it has never become more than a
hamlet in fact, and has only about sixty voters. Here is Edgar's gristmill (water power), a
fair merchant mill; also a lumber mill at what was old Careytown, which was taken into the
borough limits; three general stores, one wagon manufactory of fair size and good work by
Long Bros. The Huntington Mills Educational society was organized in 1878. An acre of
ground was purchased of .Amos Howard, and a two-story frame building erected, suitable
for an academy, at a cost of $2.000. The first term was commenced September 2, 1878-100
pupils, under Prof. J. W. Swingle, assisted by W. W. Van Horn. The stockholders were F. A.
B. Roans, S. H. Dodson, Franklin Monroe, Perry Monroe, Dr. Clinton Bacon, Gove
Larned, Amos Howard, George Remaly, William Workhiser , Redmond Koons.
-Huntington Mills, formerly Hublerville, is on Huntington creek. Here are the paper-mills of
F. A- B. Koons and Redmond Koons-first name Koons Bros. ; these were built in 1872, and
from the surrounding country they obtain the straw for the manufacture of wrapping paper.
They also have a store. There is an excellent gristmill, and some years ago, in the rear of
the gristmill, was erected a carding- mill. Town Hill is a post office, store and blacksmith
shop, an old tannery and harness shop, two churches and a schoolhouse. It is east of New
Columbus, a little over two miles. Cambra post office has two stores, hotel (no license),
wagon and blacksmith shop. Harveyville, two gristmills with modern improvements; Koons'
planing-mill is just across the creek. This was an old tannery and was converted into a
planing- mill. Register is a post office midway on the road from New Columbus to
Huntington Mills. Here is a gristmill, store and blacksmith shop. This is a nice hamlet and
has considerable trade.