Intriguing Stories of the Ancestors
This story comes from the Magazine of History with notes and queries, Vol. II, № 4, October 1905.
EARLY DAYS IN LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA (1805–1845)
[Excerpts from an address by the late W. P. Ryman, Esq., of Wilkes-Barré, Pa., before the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society.]
“The difficulties of settling in Dallas township were very great. It was comparatively an easy thing to cut a path or road along the banks of Toby’s Creek and find a way even to its source, but to settle there alone, many miles from any clearing, and meet the wolves, bears, and other wild animals, which were terrible realities in those early days, saying nothing of the still pending dread of the prowling Indian, was a solemn undertaking.
When I was a small boy, I heard Mr. Charles Harris, then an old man, tell some of his early recollections, which ran back to the time of the battle and massacre of Wyoming. He told us of the Indians who once came into the house where he and his mother were alone and demanded food. There being nothing better, they roasted a pumpkin before the fire, scraped it off, and ate it as fast as it became soft while cooking. He also told us about his father’s first settling on the westerly side of Kingston Mountain at what is still known as the “Harris Settlement,” about two miles north of Trucksville. He said his father worked all day, fell trees, and built a cabin. Night came on before the cabin could be enclosed. With the darkness came a pack of wolves, and to protect his family, Mr. Harris built a fire and sat up all night to keep it burning. The wolves were dazed and would not come near a fire, and when daylight came, they disappeared. To pass one night under such circumstances required bravery, but staying, building a house, clearing a farm, and raising a family with such terrors constantly menacing exhibited courage that commands our highest esteem.
Among those who came in the first decade were Joseph Worthington and wife — the latter a daughter of Jonathan Buckley. They came from Connecticut in 1806 and settled near Harvey’s Lake. His first house was built of logs and stood on the hill about a quarter of a mile from the eastern inlet to Harvey’s Lake.
When he first moved into that country, there was no road from Huntsville to Harvey’s Lake except for a bridle path. Mr. Worthington cut through and built a house when his nearest neighbor was miles away, and there were no clearings. Wolves were then very numerous and bold at night, and the only way Mr. Worthington could protect his family from their assaults was for all to climb the ladder to the second floor and pull the ladder up after them. Mr. Worthington used to say that his life during those early days was most lonely and disheartening.”
Perhaps we seldom think of our kinfolks. That is natural. The experience of life is often disheartening and treacherous.
Collecting stories about your ancestors is available through genealogy research. Piece by piece, it all comes together, and, in the end, you have a remarkable story. This story came from a magazine published in 1905. Suffice it to say that the magazine published some issues, some of which may have been lost in the 20th century. The recovery of records can be challenging. To preserve some of the great histories and genealogy accounts published during that period that are now out of print, I have placed my collection on Genealogy-Books.com. Easy viewing. Just click on the link and read the book! Or, use the index to learn if any information is available about your family.
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