The names of people listed in the Ransom 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
Township named in honor of
Captain Samuel Ransom
First white settler and his family
John Gardner - first white inhabitant
Mrs. John Gardner
John Gardner II - son of John, was a farmer
Richard Gardner - son of John, established Gardner’s Ferry, had 4 children
Benjamin Gardner - son of Richard, merchant, tavern keeper & postmaster, had 11 children
Samuel Gardner - son of Richard, living in 1880
Celinda Gardner - daughter of Richard, living in 1880
Harriet Gardner - daughter of Richard, living in 1880
Silas Sutton - husband of Harriet Gardner
Early Settlers
Peleg Comstock - settled about same time as Gardners, from Connecticut
PK Richards - in 1880 own Peleg Comstock’s farm
Jesse Richards - in 1880 own Peleg Comstock’s farm
John McMillian - from Ireland, teacher and doctor, had 11 children
Lt DM Huthmaker - in 1880 own John McMillian’s farm
Alexander McMillan - son of John, known as “Uncle Aleck”
Nancy Montanye - wife of Alexander McMillan, known as “Aunt Nancy”
F. (Fred) Sandway - from Germany, came to Ransom in 1841, settled on “German Hill”
John Baumgardner - from Germany, came to Ransom in 1841, settled on “German Hill”
Joh Rader - from Germany, came to Ransom in 1841, settled on “German Hill”
Andrew Nett - from Germany, came to Ransom in 1841, settled on “German Hill”
Philip Shellenberger - from Germany, came to Ransom in 1841, settled on “German Hill”
Charles Resler - from Germany, came to Ransom in 1841, settled on “German Hill”
Grist-Mill
Phineas Sherwood - built pioneer grist-mill on Gardner’s creek in 1825
Absalom Young - bought grist-mill from Phineas Sherwood
Jacob Dorsheimer - bought grist-mill from Absalom Young, in 1844, built new mill in the same place as the old one
Nathan Keim - bought grist-mill from Jacob Dorsheimer, owned with Jacob Keim
Jacob Keim - bought grist-mill from Jacob Dorsheimer, owned with Nathan Keim
Thomas Johnson - bought grist-mill from Nathan and Jacob Keim, owned it in 1880
Foundry
William Vosburg - built foundry in 1851 near the grist-mill
SE Griffin - in 1880, owned foundry and was building a new one near it.
Saw-mill
Mr. Twitchel - in 1851, built first saw-mill across the creek from the grist-mill
Willian Vosburg - rebuilt the saw-mill
William Timpkins - saw-mill owned in 1880 by his heirs
JG Osborn - in 1875, built saw-mill in Ransom Valley
FP Osborn - in 1880, owned saw-mill
Blacksmith Shop
Abraham Michaels - rebuilt pioneer blacksmith shop in Milwaukee in 1836
Daniel Skinner - bought blacksmith shop from Abraham Michaels, owned and rebuilt it with LH Winters
LH Winters - bought blacksmith shop from Abraham Michaels, owned and rebuilt it with Daniel Skinner
William Meyer - in 1880, owned blacksmith shop
EM Winters - in 1880, did the work in the blacksmith shop
Benjamin Smith - in 1847, built firsh blacksmith shop in Ransom Village with Warren Smith
Warren Smith - in 1847, built firsh blacksmith shop in Ransom Village with Benjamin Smith
Original Commissioners of the Ransom Valley Turnpike Co. (Feb 18, 1871)
LH Litts
PK Richards
Peter Bedell
George Damon
Chauncey Sherwood
DM Huthmaker
Amos Sax
1880 Commissioners of the Ransom Valley Turnpike Co.
NG Reed
Thomas Johnson
Amos Sax
Henry S. Decker
DM Huthmaker
Tavern
Benjamin Gardner - 1812 to 1837, owned pioneer tavern
Richard Gardner - built the tavern, a small log cabin, for his son, Benjamin
Benjamin Smith - bought the tavern from Richard Gardner and made improvements with Philip Drear
Philip Drear - bought the tavern from Richard Gardner and made improvements with Benjamin Smith
AW Clark - bought tavern from Philip Drear and Benjamin Smith
ID Gulick - bought tavern from AW Clark, it burned in March 1855 and used a house as a tavern for a year afterwards
F (Fred) Sandway - purchased the tavern property from ID Gulick and kept a tavern for some years
Jacob Bertels - bought tavern from Fred Sandway and made it a private property
Hotel
J Crowl - in 1876 built the hotel
George Sax - in 1846, built a tavern at the opening of the narrows
J Nafus - in 1880, owns the narrows tavern
Stores
Benjamin Smith - in 1835, had the first store with Ira Gardner, only store until 1846
Ira Gardner - in 1835, had the first store with Benjamin Gardner, only store until 1846
Samuel Gardner - in 1832, store was built for the purpose of a house
Abel Thompson - in 1846, opened a store with James Thompson which burned down in 1855
James Thompson - in 1846, opened a store with Abel Thompson which burned down in 1855
Jacob Bertels - in 1864, built and opened a store near the Ransom Depot
F (Fred) Sandway - in 1866, bought the store from Jacob Bertels and had a store and postoffice still in 1880
Postoffices and postmasters
F (Fred) Sandway - in 1880, has postoffice near Ransom Depot in his store
Benjamin Gardner - first postmaster of Ransom post office opened in about 1849
NG Reed - postmaster of Milwaukee post office opened in 1861
Thomas Johnson - 1880 postmaster of Milwaukee
E Trivley - postmaster of Mountain Valley post office opened in 1868
M Trivley - 1880 postmaster of Mountain Valley
Cemeteries
DM Huthmaker - owned farm in 1880 where Gardner Cemetery is located
Richard Gardner’s daughter - Ist buried in the Gardner Cemetery March 3, 1797
Jacob Dersheimer - donated land for Ransom Valley Cemetery and Lutheran Church
John Dersheimer - donated land for Ransom Valley Cemetery and Lutheran Church
Conrad Shafer - Revolutionary War veteran, 1st buried in Ransom Valley Cemetery 1846
Justice of the Peace
Peter A. Smith 1849, 1855
Jacob Allabach 1859
NG Reed 1860, 1865, 1870, 1875
DM Huthmaker 1862, 1867, 1872, 1877
Churches
Ransom Valley Lutheran Church
Rev John Lescher - first Lutheran pastor in Ransom church built in 1845 and dedicated in 1847
Jacob Dersheimer - donated land for Ransom Valley Cemetery and Lutheran Church
John Dersheimer - donated land for Ransom Valley Cemetery and Lutheran Church
Ransom Evangelical Church
Rev Mr. May - Evangelical Church in Ransom in 1858
Rev. Jacob Hartzlen - Evangelical Church in Ransom in 1858
Celinda Gardner - Evangelical Church held services in her house
Sebastian Dersheimer - in 1871 donated land for a frame Evangelical church
Ministers of Evangelical Church
Rev Messr. May
Rev Messr. J. Hartzlen
Rev Messr. S. Smith
Rev Messr. SP Davis
Rev Messr. HA Dietrick
Rev Messr. Solomon Buck
Rev Messr. IM Pines
Rev Messr. UF Swengle
Rev Messr. JM Price
Rev Messr. WM Crawman
Rev Messr. SI Sharters
Rev Messr. PS Orbig
Rev Messr. WW Rhoades
Rev Messr. AJ Hollenback
Rev Messr. G Burscon
Celinda Gardner - in 1867, Sunday School was held in her house and removed to the church after it was built
Peter Sutton - in 1880 superintendent of Evangelical Church Sunday School
Milwaukee Methodist Episcopal Church
Newton circut minister that visited Milwaukee Methodist Episcopal Church
Rev. Samuel Griffin
Rev. White
Rev. JM Munger
Rev. Luther Ellis
Rev. JD Safford
Rev. Miner Swallow
Rev. Philip Holbrook
Rev. JW Wilbur
Rev. John LaBar
Rev. Dr. George Peck - dedicated the ME Church frame church in summer of 1859 previous church was held in the schoolhouse
Ministers of the Milwaukee Methodist Episcopal Church
Rev. George Peck
Rev. D. Personeus
Rev. GW Leach
Rev. JM LaBar
Rev. IN Pardue
Rev. AJ VanCleft
Rev. Isaac Austin
Rev. S. Rose
Rev. A Brigham
Rev. AJ Arnold
Rev. William Shelp -in 1880, minister of the Milwaukee Methodist Episcopal Church
NG Reed - in 1880 superintendent of Milwaukee ME Sunday School. Sunday School was organized in 1852 and removed to the church after it was built
One severe crime in Milwaukee
Mrs. Ann Bedell - in June 1876, widow of Peter, was murdered in her home, killers never found
Peter Bedell - was husband of Ann Bedell
Ransom Home
Eli Brown - steward at the Ransom House in 1880, Ransom Home had 50 inmates (ten of which were insane)
Dr. Rice - doctor from Pittston, cared for inmates of the Ransom Home
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This page was created by Susan LaCoe.