The names of people listed in the Newton Township biography in the
History of Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties, PA with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of their Prominent Men and Pioneers. New York: W.W. Munsell & Co., ©1880
Names are listed with reason for mention and therefore names do appear more than once.
1st settler
Richard Gardner - 1st settler (1803)
Kern farm - in 1880, the land that Richard Gardner cleared
Early settlers
Jesse Harding - bought Richard Gardner’s farm in 1807
Mr. Lutz
Zeubulon Comstock
Elias Smith
Joseph Coon
John McMillan
Charles McClusky
Parley Von Cleveland
Henry Walters
Henry Litts
Jacob Biesecker
Henry Beemer
Early settlers’ farms and who owned them in 1880
Mr. Lutz - early settler
Henry Jacobs - in 1880, owned Mr. Lutz’s farm
Parley VonCleveland - early settler
Henry Smith - in 1880, owned Parley VonCleveland’s farm
Morgan J. Jones, brother-in-law of Parley VonCleveland - early settler
William LaCoe - in 1880, owned Morgan J. Jones’ farm
James Williams - in 1880, owned VanSickler farm
VanSickler farm - early settler
William Ayers - in 1880, owned Zephaniah Haven’s farm
Zephaniah Haven - early settler
Adam Thompson - in 1819, bought Truman Knapp’s farm
Truman Knapp - early settler
John Thompson - son of Adam Thompson, lived in Newton Twp. in 1880
Mrs. Jane Courtright - daughter of Adam Thompson, lived in Newton Twp. in 1880
Lewis Casner(Cosner) - early settler from Sussex Co., NJ
Samuel Casner(Cosner) - in 1880, owned his father, Lewis Casner(Cosner)’s farm
William A. Brink - early settler
Amos Learn - in 1880, owned William A. Brink’s farm
William Shelly, sen. - in 1880, owned William A. Brink’s farm
Williams Farm (on the mountain) - in 1880, owned William A. Brink’s farm
Early Settlers biographies
Charles McClusky - from Orange Co., NY, came to Newton in 1818
Kern farm - in 1880, owned Charles McClusky’s farm
Richard Gardner - built house that Charles McClusky lived in
Elias Smith - close neighbor of Charles McClusky who lived 10 miles away, had 6 children, in 1880 2 are living daughter lives in Pittston
Timothy McClusky - in 1880, lived in Newton, son of Charles
Joseph Coons(Coon) - from Sussex Co., NJ, came to Newton in 1816
John Coons(Coon) - in 1880, owned his father, Joseph’s farm
Elias Smith - from NJ, came to Newton in 1816, built wagon road from his house to Ransom
Henry Litts - from Sussex Co., NJ, came to Newton in 1816, had 5 sons and 2 daughters
Lewis Litts - in 1880, owns the house that his father, Henry built in 1842
Mrs. Jane Thompson - daughter of Henry Litts, lived in 1880 in Newton
Mrs. Litts - one of the first members for the Baptist church
Henry Beemer - from Sussex Co., NJ
Sidney Beemer - lived in 1880 on hos father Henry’s farm
Elias Beemer - lived in 1880 on hos father Henry’s farm
Anthony LaCoe - from France (b.1780) , Philadelphia (1792), Wilkes-Barre (1811), Newton (1850), in 1880 age 100
Amelia Deprey (DuPuy) wife of Anthony LaCoe, married in 1811
Paul Aten - in 1880, age 91
Mrs. Ringsdorf - in 1880, age 91
Mrs. Benjamin - in 1880, age 85, one of the early settlers of Newton
Early settlers’ stories
Zebulon Comstock - story
Joseph Coon - story
Timothy McClusky - story
Stores
Elias Smith - bought ashes from others, made potash, sold it in Wilkes-Barre for groceries and supplies and took more ashes to pay for the goods, soldier in the war of 1812, built first frame house in Newton
Solomon Strong - owned first regular store
VanSickler Hotel - in 1880, occupies the land where Solomon Strong’s store was
Dr. Charles Kelly - bought Solomon Strong’s store
EA Carey - in 1842, purchased Chauncey Sherwood’s barn and opened a store with George Carey and Thomas Atherton for 12 years
George Carey - in 1842, purchased Chauncey Sherwood’s barn and opened a store with EA Carey and Thomas Atherton for 12 years
Thomas Atherton - in 1842, purchased Chauncey Sherwood’s barn and opened a store with George Carey and EA Carey for 12 years
Chauncey Sherwood - sold his barn to George Carey, EA Carey, and Thomas Atherton
LH Litts - built a store at the site of John Hice’s place
John Hice - in 1880, owned the place where LH Litts had a store
LH Litts - store burned in 1861 and used Sherwood’s store until Litts was hired as an employee of the Ransom Home
Chauncey Sherwood - continued the store business after LH Litts
Henry Sham - had clothing store at Newton Center
LB Ayres - in 1880, used Sherwood store as a house
Ira Litts - in 1861 or 1862, built the Hice store
John Hice - in 1880, the owner of the store
Tavern
James VanSickler - in 1841, bought stone house from Solomon Strong and converted it into a tavern (township first) in Newton Center
Solomon Strong - in 1841, sold house to James Van Sickler
Solomon Van Sickler - in 1880, owned the Van Sickler House (tavern)
Hotel
Chauncey Sherwood - in 1842, converted home into hotel called “Sherwood House” in Newton Center
Aaron Fuller - in 1880, occupied the Sherwood House as a private house
Doctors
Dr. Andrew Bedford - first doctor
Dr. Hiram Nichols - lived in Abington
Dr. HS Cooper - came to Newton from 1842 to 1850 and 1858 to 1880
BA Benton, MD - of Tunkhannock studied medicine with Dr. Cooper
Dr SM Wheeler - for a few months after 1850
Dr J Keeney - from Laceyville, Wyoming Co., PA, died 1852
Dr. James Decker - died 1860
Dr. JA Hann - been in Newton Center since 1860
Dr. PF Hubler - Huntington, PA, since 1877 when he graduated
School
Parley Von Cleveland - taught school since about 1812/15
John Mott - teacher after Parley Von Cleveland
Anthony Briggs - teacher after John Mott
Pioneer students living in 1880
Jane Courtright
JohnThompson
Timothy McClusky
Charles William
Zebulon Comstock
Ellen Smith
Jacob Smith
David M. Smith
Newton Hall Academy
on Presbyterian hill, built in 1847
Rev. Mr. Osmond - taught first semester
CS Stark - of Pittston, taught one semester
1880 Schools
LaCoe
Ridge
Casner(Cosner)
Shook
Fireproof
Schultzville
Port Royal
Post Offices and Postmasters
Until 1844, nearest post office was at Buttermilk Falls
Henry Litts - in 1844, postmaster at his house, mail brought to him from Old Forge
Chauncey Sherwood - afterwards kept post office in his house at Newton Center
Saw-mill
Elias Smith - in 1821, built pioneer saw-mill on Gardner’s Creek
Elias Smith II - in 1880, owned his father, Elias’s saw-mill
LH Litts - in 1841, built saw-mill with Chauncey Sherwood
Chauncey Sherwood - in 1841, built saw-mill with LH Litts
Fitch - in 1840, saw-mill built on Falls creek in Brinktown
LG Damon - in 1880, owned the Fitch saw-mill
Solomon Hopkins and Son - built steam saw-mill
Esquire Hartley - in about 1850, built the Hartley saw-mill near Schultzville
McKinstry and childs - converted the Hartley saw-mill to a steam saw-mill
Blacksmith Shop
Edward Rozell, in 1821, built first blacksmith shop
C. Van Buskirk - in 1880, owned blacksmith shop in Newton Center
Keystone Tannery
John B. Shultz (Schultz) - in 1860 built the Keystone Tannery in Schultzville
McKinstry and childs - in 1865 bought the Keystone Tannery
McKinstry - in 1875, became th sole owner of the Keystone Tannery
AB McKinstry - in 1880, was in charge of the Keystone Tannery
Justice of the Peace
Lewis H. Litts - 1843
Chauncy Sherwood - 1843, 1850, 1856, 1862
Henry S. Decker - 1846, 1855, 1860
Henry Kern - 1846
Timothy McClusky - 1852, 1857, 1862
Hezekiah Ferguson - 1856
HS Cooper - 1864, 1869
DW Richards - 1868, 1874
HP Jacobs - 1874
Horace F. Barrett - 1877, 1878
Newton Center
J. Hice - in 1880, owned a store and post office (Bald Mount)
C. Van Buskirk - in 1880, owned a blacksmith shop
S VanSickler - in 1880, owned a hotel
Dr Cooper - in 1880, was a doctor in Newton Center
Dr Hann - in 1880, was a doctor in Newton Center
Dr Hubler - in 1880, was a doctor in Newton Center
Schultzville (spelled in article: Shultzville)
John B. Shultz - Schultzville was named for him because he owned the property
HF Barrett - in 1880, postmaster of the Schultzville post office
Churches
Presbyterian Church of Newton
Rev J Rhoades - organized church service on October 29, 1835 with Rev J Dorrance
Rev J Dorrance - organized church service on October 29, 1835 with Rev J Rhoades
Peter Corselius and wife - original members
Peter Richards and wife - original members
Peter Ayers and wife - original members
Isaac Rozell and wife - original members
Samuel Clark and wife - original members
Sarah Comstock - original member
Mary Carman - original member
Matilda Rozell - original member
Harriet Thompson - original member
Maria Corselius - still living in 1880
Matilda Rozell - still living in 1880
Harriet Thompson - still living in 1880
Ministers
Rev. J. Rhoades - about two years
Rev. NG Parke - from Pittston visited every four weeks
Rev. Owen Brown - once every two weeks for about two years
Rev. John Osmond - taught for two years starting 1848
Rev. WE Holmes - two and a half years
Rev. JB Adams - five years
Rev. JH Sargent - five years
Rev. AG Harnard - five years
Rev. JS Hanna - one year
Rev. JM Philips - without a pastor in 1880, visited by Rev Phillips
WC Ayers - donated the land in 1848
Horace Collum - first superintendent
membership in 1880 - about 80
Newton Baptist Church
in 1828, was a branch of the Falls Baptist Church
Feb 2 1845, when Falls Baptist Church disbanded, Newton Baptist Church organized
Elias Smith - original member of the Newton Baptist Church
Samuel Mittain - original member of the Newton Baptist Church
Catharine Litts - original member of the Newton Baptist Church
Mrs. Fritchell - original member of the Newton Baptist Church
Rev. Isaac D. Jones - from Exeter, untill 1833
Rev. John Miller - ocassionally from 1836 to 1836
Rev. James Clark - part of 1840
Rev. Silas Finn - from 1845 to 1848, preached half the time
Rev. James Miller - since 1853, preached half the time and 1877, became the pastor
HS Cooper - in 1877, elected deacon
John Rosenkrans - in 1877, elected deacon
Rev. Charles Parker - after Rev Miller, until 1859
Rev. JC Sherman - until Dec 1861 and summer of 1862
no pastor from 1862 to April 1867
Rev. JC Sherman - after April 1867, preached for a year
Dr. HS Cooper - January 18, 1868, appointed to building committee
Rev. Mr. Sherman - January 18, 1868, appointed to building committee
J Rolosen - January 18, 1868, appointed to building committee
Mr. Biesecker - January 18, 1868, appointed to building committee
E Taylor - January 18, 1868, appointed to building committee
Rev WP Helling - dedicated new church building on November 28, 1871
Rev. George Lukins - one year
Rev Newell Callender - three years
Rev WG Comstock- in 1880, pastor
John Coon - Sunday school superintendent
Chapel at Schultzville
John B Shultz (Schultz) - built the chapel in 1861 or 1862
Newton Methodist Evangelical Church
preached in school house for 20 years and before organization of the church in Nov 1846
In 1880, church membership was 56.
Jacob Smith - one of the first trustees
Nathaniel Richards - one of the first trustees
Timothy Drake - one of the first trustees
Peter Bedell - one of the first trustees
Jesse Beemer - one of the first trustees
Alexander Beemer - one of the first trustees
George Albright - one of the first trustees
Noah Patrick - one of the first trustees
John Meiss - one of the first trustees
Peter Bedell - member of the building commitee
Jacob Smith - member of the building commitee
James Van Sickler - member of the building commitee
Nathaniel Richards - member of the building commitee
Peter Rutan - member of the building commitee
Ministers after church was built
Rev. CE Taylor - appointed Jacob Smith leader of a class
Jacob Smith - leader of a 23 member class
Rev. Dr Reuben Nelson - in 1876 dedicated new church with stepple and bell tower
Rev. Isaac Austin - pastor when the church was being built
Rev. William Shelp - pastor after 1876
Ministers before church was built
Rev. Charles Gidding
Rev. White
Rev. Dayton F. Reed
Rev. CE Taylor
Rev. Wilcox
Rev. Benjamin Ellis
Rev. Owen
Rev. Schoonmaker
Rev. Sterling
Rev. EF Roberts
Rev. John LaBar
Rev. John Wilbur
Rev. JD Stafford
Rev. Miner Swallow
Rev. GW Leach
Rev. PS Holbrook
Rev. JW Munger
Rev. GM Peck
Rev. D Personius
Rev. EN Pardee
Rev. Asa J VanCleft
Rev. E Puffer
Rev. Isaac Austin
Rev. RS Rose
Rev. A Brigham
Rev. AJ Arnold
Bald Mount Lodge, No. 731, I.O. of G. T.
at Newton Center, July 30th 1869
Meetings every Friday, Good Templars’ Hall
has over 300 members
Temperance Cause
Miss Jennie Petty - member of Bald Mount Lodge, worker in the temperance cause
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