Park

park Thomas Park, the first permanent settler of Litchfield, was born in 1749 in CT, a son of Josiah Park of English descent. The family were early settlers of Wyoming Twp. Thomas was an active patriot. He joined Captain Spaulding’s company, and was in Sullivan’s campaign against the Indians. In the spring of 1781, he was severely wounded in an encounter with the Indians, who were making a raid upon the settlers.

Mrs. Elizabeth Wolcott, a daughter, says: “In early summer, 1781, during the convalescence of father, he married Abigail, daughter of Abraham Nesbit, an early settler of Wyoming. In the contest for land titles, father was most unfortunate, being a settler under Connecticut title (see the Pennamite War Note at the end of the main biographies). He even suffered imprisonment for no other crime. While thus confined, his family suffered most inhuman treatment at the hands of the Pennamites. Neighbors, who had been on most friendly terms came, and with taunts and jeers told my mother that she must leave or they would burn the house over her head. ‘That if they wished her to leave they must send some one clothed with authority to enforce their threats; she could not stand in awe of neighbors, with whom she had always been friendly.’ But her words were unheeded. She was stripped of everything they could appropriate to their own use. Even a yoke of cattle father had paid for with money received for services during the war, were butchered and distributed among the Pennamites, for which he never received a farthing recompense. Mother has often asserted, ‘That she had suffered more, was more distressed during the Pennamite excitement, than in all those previous years of the Revolution.’ These persecutions were in fact some of the moving causes of my parents leaving Wyoming and moving into the wilderness. Even if the suffered privations they would have freedom, which would compensate for all the privations and hardships they would be called upon to endure. When importuned to apply for a pension as other soldiers of the Revolution were doing, father would invariably reply, ‘We are in the enjoyment of all I ever fought for – the priceless boon of liberty – our country is free.

“In 1788 my parents, with their young children and my aged Grandfather Park, moved up the North branch of the Susquehanna and settled upon its eastern banks in what is now the township of Litchfield. At first, he had to procure his supplies at or near Wilkes-Barre, first earning the means wherewith to purchase them, either by the manufacture and sale of canoes, or perhaps a few weeks’ labor in the settlements of Wyoming and Wilkes-Barre, would give him sufficient means to make his purchases, which had to be carried in a canoe up the river a distance of over 100 miles. When he had provided a sufficient amount in advance of our wants, he would make improvements upon the homestead in clearing and tilling the soil. Having cleared a piece of ground, he would prepare the same with spade and hoe, plant it with corn and potatoes, and as the season advanced, would plant and sow in like manner and seed adapted to the season. He finally Secured the use of a team, in exchange for his labor, until his prosperity admitted of having a team of his own.

“The first few years were a bitter struggle – we were often obliged to go without bread, dependent at times almost wholly upon fish, and wild greens that could be gathered from the forests for sustenance – my mother frequently going five or six miles to gather cowslips and similar growths of vegetation for greens, to help supply ands sustain the family. One summer, in consequence of a scarcity of provisions everywhere, we were obliged to live on green buckwheat, boiled with wild game, for a number of days. In his old age, father was persuaded to apply for a pension, which was granted to him and after his death continued to mother. Thomas Park died in 1819, aged 70 years, and was bornuried in the cemetery that his aged father had cleared at the state line.” He was an uncle of Judge Gore of Sheshequin. Mrs. Park died in 1843. The children of Thomas and Abigail Park were : Daniel, Mary, Elizabeth, Susannah, Samuel, James, Thomas, Joseph, and Amos.

Daniel married, 1806, Miss Martha Saunders, by whom he had eleven children; his second wife was Nancy Ellis, who bore him three children; he died Sep 21, 1842, in Litchfield, aged 60 years.

Mary “the heroine of Litchfield,” married in 1805, John Moore and had two sons and a daughter; died in Feb 1843, in Litchfield, aged 59 years.

Elizabeth married 1802, Elijah Wolcott: children, six sons and six daughters; died 26 Jan 1873, in Litchfield, aged 85 years.

Susannah married in 1807, John R Wolcott, brother of Elijah, and had one son; and died in 1808, at Ithaca, NY, aged 20 years.

Samuel married Margaret Wolcott, sister of Elijah and John, and had four sons and one daughter; died in 1823, in Litchfield, aged 32 years.

James, the first white child born in Litchfield, married first Miss Margaret McKinney and had one son; married second Sibyl Franklin, and had three children; married third, Anna Bronson, and had two sons and a daughter; died in 1857, in Litchfield, aged 64 years.

Thomas married his brother Samuel’s widow, and had three daughters and one son; died in 1861, in Litchfield, aged 66 years.

Joseph married Miss Mary Stewart, and had four sons; died, 1862, in Litchfield, aged 65 years.

Dr. Amos P married Miss Arlette Griffin, and had two daughters; died Aug 28, 1837, in Sheshequin, in his 33rd year. (Source 102: pages 152-154)

Moses Park, born 1 August 1766 at Preston, New London Co CT. His father was a sea captain and was lost at sea when Moses was a boy. After coming to Sheshequin, Moses taught school, probably the first teacher in the town, and also began preaching as a Baptist there and at Tioga Point. He married Mary Spaulding in Bradford Co on 14 March 1792. She was born 20 July 1776 in Lycoming Co PA, daughter of Simon Spaulding and Ruth E Shepherd. In 1797 they moved to the State of OH and there he was commissioned a justice of the peace by Governor St Clair. In 1801 Moses and Mary returned to Bradford County and purchased a farm in Athens Twp, east of the Susquehanna, where he continued to reside until the time of his death on 30 May 1817. Mary died 2 May 1842. Their children were-

Cynthia Park, b 25 Dec 1792, married Constant Mathewson of Athens;

Clarissa Park, b 29 Apr 1795, married Nathaniel Flower of Athens:

Harriet Park, died young;

Amanda Park, b 24 Nov 1799, married Jabez Fish of Sheshequin, and died 7 July 1891;

Chester Park, b 20 Jan 1802, was a religious minister, and married Lemira Fish; he died in 1881;

Moses Park, died young;

George Park, b 25 Jul 1806, married a Miss Hutchins, and died at Athens where he kept a public house;

Silas Warren Park, b 18 Mar 1809;

Simon Park, died young;

Mary Park, b 28 Nov 1813, married Rev G S Ames;

Consider Sterry Park, b 31 Oct 1816. (116)

Early Bradford Co PA Park Pioneers

thomas park, the first white settler in the present township of Litchfield. Josiah Park, father of Thomas, was of English descent, who, was born 18 May 1709 and raised at Preston, New London Co CT. Josiah married Sarah Benjamin at Preston on 5 November 1731, and their son Thomas was born there on 8 December 1745, their eighth child. When he had grown to be a young man, Thomas heard of the condition of the people in Forty Fort, and was one of the first to volunteer to come to their rescue, but reached the ground, unfortunately, a few days after the Wyoming massacre (3 July 1778), or battle. He remained here, however, some time in the stockade the settlers had built, and hearing that some sugar-campers were surrounded by Indians, he raised a company and went to their rescue, and, in the skirmish that ensued with the Indians, he was wounded by a musket ball in the thigh, and he carried the leaden bullet with him to the grave. He was married in Wyoming Valley at the Shawnee stockade, to Abigail Nesbitt. He reared a family of children, as follows: Daniel Park, born 1782; Mary Elizabeth Park, born 1786 in Wyoming Valley, PA, married Elijah Wolcott; Susanna Park, born 1788, married John R Wolcott (brother of Margaret Wolcott who married Susanna’s brothers Samuel, and Thomas); Samuel Park, born 1791, married Margaret Wolcott; James N Park, born 1793, married Margaret McKinney; Thomas Park, born 1795, married Margaret Wolcott, widow of Thomas’ brother Samuel; Joseph Park, born 1797, married Polly Steward; Amos Park, born 1805, married Arletta Griffin; Benjamin Park, died young; and Sally Park. Josiah Park, father of Thomas Sr, when old and infirm, came and spent his last days with his son, Thomas. He cleared away the brush for a cemetery, and was the first to be buried there, in 1793. Thomas’ third son, James N, was the first child born in the present township of Litchfield, in 1793, and in time became a prominent farmer. He married Margaret McKinney, by whom there was one son, Orrin Park, then Margaret died, about the year 1820. His second marriage was about 1823, with Sybil Franklin, daughter of Samuel Franklin, a brother of Col John Franklin, and of this union there were children as follows: Margaret Park, Samuel Park, Loduski Park, Ulysus Park, Ira R Park, Clarissa Park, and Hugh W Park. After this last marriage the father went to Luzerne county, where this family of children were reared. The mother of the last above-named children died in 1841, when James N Park returned to Bradford county to make his home, and afterward he married Annie Bronson, by which marriage there were two children: Elizabeth Park and Homer Park. James Park died in Litchfield township, in 1858, and was soon followed to the grave by his widow. Dr Ira R Park is the fifth in the order of birth, as noted above, in the list of names of the children of James Park, and his home and early life and education were in Litchfield, his birthplace. When he attained his majority he diligently engaged in the study of medicine, and graduated at the Philadelphia Medical College in 1870, and from that time he has continued in the practice. Dr Ira R Park and wife Martha Park were united in marriage in Litchfield; she was the daughter of Reuben Park and Maria Snider, natives of NY and of German descent. Dr Park then moved to Overton, in 1870, where he has made his permanent home. Their family of five children were as follows: Reuben Park, James F Park, Maria O Park, Edgar R Park, and Sybil G Park (died at the age of five).

daniel park of Bradford Co PA (he a son of Thomas Park and Abigail Nesbit), was born 1 January 1782 in Wyoming Valley, Bradford Co PA, and died at Litchfield 21 September 1842. He married twice, and had eleven children from his first wife Pattie Saunders, and four from wife number two, Nancy Ellis. Pattie was born in 1790, and died at Litchfield on 1 July 1826. Three of the children of Daniel and Pattie were: Sarah Park, born 5 June 1807, married Silas Munn; Benjamin Park, born 12 January 1820, was the eighth child; Joseph Park, born 1824, married Elizabeth and lived in Litchfield Twp for years near his brother Benjamin.

benjamin park, born 12 January 1820, lived in Litchfield Twp and married Mary Shackelton about 1846, a daughter of John O Shackelton and Anna Maria Wintermute. Mary was born 23 October 1825 in Sussex Co NJ. Benjamin and Mary had children: Leora Dell Park, born 15 February 1847; Wilmot Park, born 5 February 1849, died 26 September 1858; Fordham Park, born 7 July 1853, died 18 July 1863; William Dunham Park, born 18 August 1859; Sumner Park, born 9 August 1864, died in 1930; and Mercur Park, born 10 September 1868. Dell married E L Walker, a wealthy farmer; Dunham married Catherine McKinney, daughter of Hanson McKinney; Sumner Park married Olie Marie Heath, daughter of M R Heath. Benjamin Park died 21 March 1905.

dana fish park lived in Athens Twp. He was from Sheshequin Twp, Bradford Co, and was born 6 January 1830, a second child of Chester Park and Lemira Fish. Dana married twice. His first marriage was in 1855 at Waverly to Catherine Ball, daughter of Henry Ball and Mary Mullock. Catherine died in 1859 and Dana then married Lydia M Carmer in 1865. She was born 23 July 1833 at Litchfield, PA, daughter of Horace Carmer and Azubia Atkins. Dana died in 1898 and Lydia in 1908. He and his two wives had: Irving K Park, born 1858; William K Park, born 1866; Robert Bruce Park, born 1870; and Charles Dana Park, born 1874, died in 1929.

elias t park, born 6 March 1839 in Hunterdon Co NJ, and was the ninth of eleven children of James A and Maria (Bergen) Park, natives of NJ. Elias was a real estate dealer, and was largely responsible for building the town of Greenwood. Elias married Emma L Cranmer in 1863. She was a daughter of A L Cranmer. Elias and Emma had five children: William C Park, born 20 January 1864, a civil engineer on the A&P Railroad at Addison, NY; Addie L Park, born 20 November 1865; Helen J Park, born 20 November 1874; Mary E Park, born 26 December 1876; and Staates Bergen Park, born 5 November 1881.

harry parks, was born in Rome Twp on 9 August 1824, a son of John and Margaret (Strope) Parks, the former a native of MA of Scotch origin, and the latter a native of PA and of German descent. In Harry’s father’s family there were eleven children: Sarah Parks (deceased by 1891), Abigal Parks, Jane Parks (deceased by 1891), William B Parks, Harriet Parks, Harry Parks, Nathaniel N Parks, Chester Parks, John M Parks (deceased by 1891), James Parks, Herbert Parks, and Elisha Parks. Harry began farming on Taylor Hill, where he remained fifteen years, then purchased his next home, which included 275 acres. He married 4 March 1849 to Henrietta A Allis, daughter of Silas and Margaret (Lent) Allis, natives of VT and PA, respectively. They had six children, as follows: Celestia Parks, born 16 September 1850, married to Albert Robinson, a farmer, of Wysox; Henry Myron Parks, born 11 October 1852; Silas Parks, born 4 April 1854; Emerson Adelbert Parks, born 21 August 1858, died 28 February 1883; Lewis Parks, born 1 October 1866, died 2 March 1873; and William Parks, born 6 February 1868.

isaac austin parks, was born in New London, CT 26 October 1814, a son of Isaac Parks (Sr), who was born in Groton, CT 25 October 1784. Grandfather Stephen Parks, a native of CT, a farmer by occupation, was drowned in the North river while trying to cross on the ice, in 1792; he married Annie Williams and they had four children, viz.: Stephen Parks, Isaac Parks, Eunice Parks (wife of R Avery) and Darius Parks. Steven served in the Revolutionary War. Stephen Parks’ wife died in her eightieth year. Isaac Parks (Sr) attended school until his fifteenth year, and served an apprenticeship at the boot and shoe trade, while attending school, three months each year, until he attained his majority. In 1805 he joined the militia, and served until 1813; was a Minute Man the remainder of the year. In 1814 he removed to Otis, MA, where he built a tannery and shoe shop, and carried on business four years; then sold it and came to PA, settling in Orwell Twp, where he took up a "possession claim," now the homestead, and here spent the remainder of his life. He married at New London, CT in 1812 to Hannah Gray, daughter of Jonas and Lucy (Spicer) Gray, and died in 1850; they had three children, viz.: Isaac Austin Parks, Lucy Parks (deceased by 1891) and Jackson Parks. Isaac Austin Parks attended school at Orwell until his nineteenth year, and then worked on the farm five years, and went to AR two years, as a mill-wright, then went into business with Dick Gentry of MO, and was engaged in the Santa Fe carrying trade. They started for San Francisco, via the Gila and Sacramento rivers route, arriving in June, 1840, and remaining until October, when Isaac returned to KS; then at Fort Scott, KS, he worked at his trade four years, after which he returned home, and purchased his present place of about two hundred and fifty acres, which was a portion of the property bought by his father. Here he made his permanent home and was a stock raiser. He erected his present dwelling in 1857. In 1862 he raised, and was made captain of, Company D, One Hundred and Forty-first Regiment, PA V I, went to the front and participated in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and numerous other engagements; when his command was on the Rappahannock he resigned, after twenty-two months’ service, went to Washington DC, and was discharged. He married on 1 January 1845 Melissa A Mericle, the second in the family of thirteen children of Levi and Eunice (Coggswell) Mericle, and they had children as follows: Norman L Parks (deceased by 1891); Arthur M Parks (deceased by 1891); Edith M Parks (deceased by 1891); Emma A Parks, wife of A R Brutzman; Ida A Parks, wife of Joseph W Allen; Elbert J Parks; Charles F Parks; Willie Parks (died in infancy); Flora M Parks, wife of Charles Ellis; and Ella Parks, wife of O J Buttles. Isaac Austin Parks served as county commissioner from 1853 to 1856; as town assessor nine terms; as school director twenty years, and town commissioner, twelve years.

w b parks of Rome Twp, Bradford Co, was born there on 19 March 1820, and was a son of John and Margaret (Strope) Parks. His father was born in MA on 20 August, 1779, and died in Rome Twp 8 December 1873. W B Parks, who is the third in a family of twelve children, spent his boyhood on his father’s farm, and attended the district school; his youthful days were spent in the usual occupation of the boys on the frontier - chopping, lumbering and rafting. In 1858 he purchased a one-half interest in his father’s farm, and, in 1866, bought the remainder, and added other land to it, until he owned 132 acres. On 5 September 1864 he enlisted in Company G, One Hundred and Eighty-fifth NY Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of the war. He was in all the battles in the campaign against Richmond, and was present at the surrender of Lee; he was discharged with his regiment on 30 May 1865, and came home and resumed farming; here he lived until 1865, when he removed to MI, where he remained four years; then went to NE, remaining until 1890, when he returned to Bradford Co. Mr Parks married on 21 September 1846 to Kansas C Smith, daughter of James Smith, of Windham Twp, and to them were born two children: Ophelia Parks and James Parks. (Source 105, W,114nqrc)