By Velma M. Rose Smith

I wish to tell you something about the early history of this hamlet in which we live. Beginning with our township, Charleston, it was organized in December 1820 and was taken from Delmar Township. The drainage is toward all points of the compass, forming a watershed between the Tioga River on the East, Babbs Creek to the South, Marsh Creek on the West and Crooked Creek on the North. It is considerably elevated, being from 1600 to 1800 feet above sea level. It is one of the most productive townships in the County. The first assessment was made in 1821 by Nathan Niles Jr. There were less than 50 taxables. The first settlements were at Cherry Flats, Welsh Settlement, Dartt Settlement, Catlin Hollow, Whitneyville, Round Top and Hills Creek.

At Whitneyville the first settlers were Lemuel Churchill (1823), his brother, Asa Churchill (1825), Tyrus and Solomon Rice (1838), Robert Pratt (1837) and Elizah Grinnell (1838). The village sprang up in a heavily wooded area, the best pine timber to be found anywhere; there was also hemlock and various kinds of hardwood. Whitneyville, however, owes its existence to, and takes its name from Alonzo Whitney and his son Nelson Whitney, who settled here in 1848. Alonzo build his log cabin up from where the old barn we remember stood and a “meeting house” to the southwest, by the spring. Later Nelson Whitney built the large brick house, from bricks hand made east of the only other brick house in this vicinity, now known as the West house on Route 660. At the time of the Civil War, Nelson Whitney served as quarter-master, with the rank of Major, in the 13th Division of the Pennsylvania Militia. He raised a company of men, and was commissioned Captain of Co. G., 45th Pa. Volunteers. His house at that time was where the old foundations are back of Nancy Whitney Hughes trailer, and was probably one of the first frame houses built in the village. Alonzo was an enterprising farmer and Nelson was a farmer, merchant and lumberman. They came from Gibson, N.Y., in Steuben County. Alonzo established a carding mill, one of the first businesses for the village.

The first road out of Whitneyville was cut by Solomon and Tyrus Rice to Spencer’s Mill, at Canoe Camp, and one was cut connecting the villages of Dartt Settlement and Whitneyville. A stage route was established from Mansfield to Wellsboro and it carried the mail. Whitneyville was called the East Charleston post office and Dartt Settlement was called the Charleston post office. Between Mansfield and East Charleston was the Mardin post office where the Coveney Homestead stands. This stage route was designated as the Ore Bed Route as there was a large ore bed on top of the hill. Other roads were built, one to Covington, one to Cherry Flats about 1856, one to Hills Creek and another road to Mansfield called the Hollow Road and another Hollow Road to Wellsboro; these Hollow Roads are now a part of Route 6.

The village was described as being “two blocks north and south, one block east and west, with a rectangular piece of land called “The Square”, with no dividing street.

A sawmill was build by the creek in the center of the square, to the east. Huge piles of logs were piled in the mill yard. They were hauled from the woods on heavy bobsleds, and were pulled up to the sawing floor on a car by cable. The youngsters of that time got their thrills by riding down the empty car and landing on the pile of logs.

In the corner house, where Wilfred Whitney lives now, lived Mr. and Mrs. George Abrams. He operated the blacksmith shop opposite the sawmill. Across from the Abrams lived Mr. and Mrs. Burke Green. He was known as a horse-trader and hunter.

In 1863 a company was formed to build and operate a cheese factory and carried on for a number of years. It was opposite the Northeast corner of the square. Frank Zimmer acquired the factory in 1890 and later sold it to Frank Hood. In 1883 Waldo Spear purchased the general store and ran it until Mr. Hood bought it and the cheese factory in 1899. Mr. Spear married Eva Benedict, whose home was on top of the hill North of the store. Mr. Spear came into possession of this home and farm of 85 acres and remodeled the house into what seemed a mansion at that time overlooking the village that had grown to about 30 homes. The cheese factory was operated until the Pet Milk Condensery was built in Wellsboro and forced the factory to close.

There were several blacksmith shops, the one across from the sawmill had a turning lathe and carpenter shop. Here is where the heavy bobsleds were made to haul the logs.

Where Ruth Robinson lives now, a part of that house was a boot shop, where leather boots were made – the customer went in, had his foot measured and the boots made to fit.

Dr. Charles Hazlett and his family moved into Whitneyville around 1890 and lived in the house west of the Green family, where Fred White lives now, while their new home was being built on the corner of the road leading to Cherry Flats, where the Marion Dewey family now lives. Dr. Hazlett was a very good country doctor. I could recount many stories about him. Before the time of the telephone, men came on horseback to get him. He would hitch his horse to the buggy, grab his black bag and get to his patient somehow. He dispenses his medicine and advice in a cheerful bedside manner. There were no prescriptions to fill out, he did the best he could with what medicines he had. He had some of the bitterest pills I ever tasted but everyone for miles around loved and admired this dedicated man. Before him, another doctor, Dr. Mastin, lived in the house across from the Grange Hall. (a search of records shows that the house was built between 1880 and 1882. Courthouse records show that land purchased in 1880 and a news article dates the trim on the house was completed in 1882.

Across the corner to the North from the new Hazlett house lived the Varney’s, here lived Florence Varney, who later married Joe Wilcox. Later years Roy Patrick used this house for a meat market, and it was used for a store for a time, run by Lee Spear. Later it became a blacksmith and repair shop operated by Ray Rose.

The next house was the home of the Wellington Baker family. It burned to the ground and the family lost everything. The village people got together and purchased a house formerly occupied by Nelson Morgan, moved it to the burned spot, repaired it and gave it to the Bakers.

Next door lived the Patricks. Mr. Patrick was an excellent stone mason. In the next house lived Selah Martin, and in the next one lived Pete and Lora Bailey Abrams, this house was at the west end of the sawmill lot.

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Beuter lived in the next house (where Wayne Smith lives now), next was the first parsonage, and in the corner house lived Mr. and Mrs. Henry Petrie. Mr. Petrie was a professional wagon maker.

When Dr. Hazlett moved to his new home, Mrs. Olive Benedict moved into that house. Directly across lived Ed Jennings and sons. They operated a harness shop and did a thriving business for many harnesses were needed. Besides the heavy work-horse harnesses, every family kept a driving team with fancy light harnesses. When the shop closed, the building became a grocery store. Next was the house where the Widder Bellinger lived, then the cheese factory.

Across the road from the store lived Mr. and Mrs. Julius Bailey (R. Arnold Smith farm). On his farm, down the road, was constructed a sort of town hall. Mr. Bailey donated the land and the people got together and built the hall (now the Grange Hall). Next to the hall lived Holman Morgan and wife. He was nearly 100 years old at this time and when his 100th birthday came he was carried upstairs in the hall for a celebration.

On the hill back of the Whitney brick house was a large grove of trees, here was held the community picnic. Long ropes
from the hay barns were hung, sometimes 25 feet from the ground, and made exciting swings. Tables were ready for the dinner of 35 to 40 families. Often a pole was placed upright, greased, with a $5 bill pinned to the top and the young men had fun trying to get to the money. Or a greased pig was turned loose to be caught. A stage was constructed and an amateur program and spelling bees held for entertainment. Later they held these picnics in the David Jones grove (where Benedicts now live).

The first Methodist Church was the out-growth of the members of the Catlin Hollow Church in 1855. It was incorporated in 1857 by Chauncey Dartt, Joseph Wilcox, Marcus Benedict, Harvey Adams and Alonzo Whitney and constituted a separate charge before 1860. When the church was built Elias Tipple was given the job of supplying the timber at 6 1/2 cents a square foot. Chauncey Dartt did the framing and Julius Bailey was appointed Supervisor at $1.75 for 10 hours. A house was purchased by the trustees for a parsonage from Alonzo Whitney for $251.94 (where Dick Boyce lives). A plot of land was purchased from Nelson and Susan Whitney for $50 on which the Church as built. The Church building was completed in 1867 at a cost of $2,870. Meetings were held before its completion in the old school house. The second parsonage was where Elizabeth Gile lives now. This was the parsonage until the church purchased the Jennings house in 1910. The first minister to occupy it was E. W. Collins and family and the last one was James Garthoff and family.

Grace Wilcox Jones was the church organist and also the community music teacher. They had a fine time singing, often the Welch Settlement singers would join them. There was a men’s quartet from Whitneyville that sang on many occasions. They were: Willis Benedict, Emmett Dartt, Jay Whitney and 2??

I wanted to visit the cemetery to look at the old stones to see who the first settlers were that are buried here. Maybe someone else knows when the first graves were made.

Mr. Hood purchased the General Store in 1899 and it was soon after this that the telephone exchange was installed. One of the first operators was Edna Green (later Youxnaris). The Grange worked to have the telephone in rural areas. The farmers cut their own poles, bought the wire and strung their own lines. Whitneyville exchange could call Cherry Flats and surrounding areas. Everyone had to keep good batteries in their phone. A telephone was installed in my folks’ home in 1902, and it had a switch with three buttons so we could connect Cherry Flats with Will Hubbard at North Elk Run.

There is much more I could tell of the families that lived in and around this village, where being friends and neighbors meant so much. A story is told of a farmer that lost his barn by fire, the neighbors cut logs from the woods. They were cut into lumber at the sawmill, and all worked together to build a new barn. One of the farmers was severely injured on the barn job, and neighbors, men and women, planted all his crops, cared for them, and took turns doing his farm chores until he recovered.

I owe Mr. Robert Jennings many thanks, for I got many of these stories from his book of memories.
Presented by Velma Smith at Grange meeting, summer of 1974.