Forest Lake – One of the most heart-rendering occurrences it has been our duty to report in many a day occurred Feb. 17th, when Kenneth, the 2 l/2 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Hollenbeck died as the result of accidental poisoning. Mr. Hollenbeck had occasion to visit Hallstead that morning and made a change of clothes.  In one of his pockets were some strychnine heart tablets and these he laid out upon a table, but forgot to pick them up before starting away.  These, the little fellow found, and ate some of them before being discovered.  He was soon taken very ill and Dr. Wilson, of Montrose, was called, but before he could reach the Hollenbeck home the little life was despaired of, living only a few minutes after the physician arrived.

Choconut Valley – Bells are ringing continually and the sleighing is ideal.  The Choconut Inn entertains many sleigh loads from Binghamton. ALSO Misses Mary Donnelly, Marie McManus, Messrs. Linus and Raymond Donnelly, James McCormack, Edward O’Connell and Capt. Charles Brown attended the dance at Laurel Lake.  All report a bang-up time.

Jackson – It is time to renew your membership in the Jackson Library as the year begins Feb. 1st.

Silver Lake – The Don’t Worry Club has not met recently on account of the illness of several members. ALSO  M. J. Kane, of Richmond Hill, has purchased the Jerome Stone farm.  He contemplates moving there in early spring.

South Ararat – Sam Entrot and William Starbird have filled their ice houses from the pure waters of Fiddle Lake.

New Milford – Eugene Whitney removed from Heart Lake to New Milford about 8 years ago and since that time has been engaged in the berry and small fruit business on an extensive scale.  Two years ago he marketed, approximately, 120 bushels of strawberries.  He is also a grower of vegetables and sold much cabbage last season—the price being specially attractive, owing to the loss caused by the high water on the flats near Binghamton last summer.

Susquehanna – Constable N. H. Smithers brought Lawrence Fry and Norman Twilling to the county jail Friday, charged with breaking in and entering a D & H box car.  The young men claim they live in Chicago and say they are innocent.  ALSO Paul Conrad, impersonator and entertainer, will give an entertainment in the North Jackson M. E. Church on Feb. 29th.

Friendsville – H. C. Foran and Thos. Hickey are drawing ice from Carmalt Lake.

Rush – The Grammar room of the High School is closed on account of the illness of the teacher, Agnes E. Brotzman, who has been confined to her home for the past three weeks.  Students and teachers of the High School presented her with a sunshine box.

Forest City – Ignatz Novak and Louisa Skubitc have applied for a marriage license.

Glenwood – Sidney Marcy has his new blacksmith shop nearly ready for roofing, and those parties that found a roll of roofing near Stephens’ watering trough, at Nicholson, one day last week, would be so kind as to leave it at N. B. Marcey’s, he would consider a reward.

South Harford – Philander Harding, aged 94, and his wife, a little younger, walked from their home to the Harding cemetery and back home a few days ago.  They called on Elijah Harding the same day.  They are our youngest old couple in town.

Uniondale – John W. Davis is a successful hunter of foxes and they have come to know it.  During this winter he has killed eight reynards [Reynards] and will lay claim to a bounty of $16.  The pelts are worth from $6 to $8 a piece, so John has got the money back expended for ammunition and his chase has been profitable.

Middletown – Leo Conboy has been real busy, the last few days, breaking colts.

Herrick Center – The building occupied by W. H. Fletcher, as a general store for the past 26 years, with its contents, was totally destroyed by fire Monday afternoon. The neighbors responded to telephone calls very quickly but could only apply their efforts to the saving of adjoining properties.  Mr. Fletcher’s residence, separated from the store only by the creek, was saved by the efforts of a bucket brigade.  Dr. Craft’s building, on the east side, recently remodeled, which he expects to open as a hospital in the spring, was in danger at one time, but was kept wet with water and saved.  The uninsured building was owned by Mrs. Emily Miller. The disaster has cast a gloom over the entire community.  The store was an old landmark, having existed since the early tannery days.

Dimock – When you come after new books at the Dimock Free Library, be sure and bring all old, over-due ones.  We ask for the return of the following, to be sent in as soon as convenient: Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Poppea of the Postoffice, The Southerner, Girl of the Limberlost.

Montrose – The Montrose High School has installed a new wireless receiving station as an aid to the students who are interested in the study of wireless telegraphy.

Elk Lake – Richard Arnold died at his late home, Feb. 17, 1916, aged 85 years, from the infirmities of age.  For more than 40 years the deceased had lived at Elk Lake, and during all that long period of time had always taken a prominent part in community affairs.  The deceased was affectionately cared for in his last days by his daughter, Miss Julia, a trained nurse, who gave him every possible attention and comfort.  His wife died about 4 years ago.  He is survived by 4 sons and 4 daughters: Miss Mary, Mrs. L. M. McDermott and Miss Julia, of Elk Lake; Mrs. Vreeland, of New York city; John, James, Frank and Richard, all of Elk Lake.  Miss Hester Vreeland, a teacher in the Montrose High school, is a grand-daughter of the deceased.

Lathrop – There will be a box social at the tenant house of W. H. Johnson, on Tuesday evening, Feb. 29.  The gentlemen are requested to bring the boxes.

“Freak Weather”  The year 1816 is forgotten today but for decades it was remembered as “the year without a summer.”  Frost occurred in every month of 1816.  Ice formed half an inch thick in May; snow fell to the depth of three inches in the interior of New York and also in Massachusetts in June; ice was formed to the thickness of common window glass throughout New York State on the 5th of July.  Indian corn was so frozen that the greater part was cut down and dried for fodder in August, and farmers supplied themselves from the corn produce in 1815 for the seed of the spring of 1817.  About 40 years earlier, during the Revolution, came the winter that was so cold as to freeze upper New York bay for weeks into a mass of ice.  So solid was this great sheet of ice that the British harnessed teams of horses to their cannon and crossed on the ice with them from the Battery to Staten Island.  Long afterward came the famous “winterless year,” the year when women in New York had to carry parasols in January to protect themselves from sunstroke and when in midwinter the St. Lawrence was wholly free from ice.  And yet we talk about the freakishness of modern weather.

Greensboro Borough in Greene County, Pennsylvania has a municipal ordinance that prohibits property owners from “permitting accumulations of filth, manure, dirt, ashes, coal, boxes, barrels, stone, brush or lumber on streets, sidewalks or alleys in the Borough.”  Given the language in the ordinance, you might suspect that it was a rather old piece of municipal legislation – and you would be right.  The ordinance was enacted in 1879.

Then, 145 years later in May 2014, the Borough Mayor issued a summary citation for violating that ordinance on Ralph Jannini, who owned a lot in the Borough which had a former church and parsonage on it.  Jannini had covered a sidewalk on the property and planted a flower garden over the sidewalk.  The trial court concluded that Janani had failed to properly maintain a public sidewalk and ordered Janani to pay a $100 fine.

Jannini filed an appeal.  His defenses were simple.  First, Jannini challenged the authority of the Mayor to issue the notice and citation – Jannini contended that the authority to issue a summary citation rests with a law enforcement officer, not a Mayor.      The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court rejected this argument.  Pennsylvania Rule of Criminal Procedure 402 provides that “law enforcement officers shall ordinarily instate summary proceedings by citation.”  In this regard, Rule 103 defines a “law enforcement officer” as “any person who is by law given the power to enforce the law when acting within the scope of that person’s employment.”  Under the Borough Code, a Mayor is vested with the specific authority to enforce ordinances, which thereby made the Mayor a law enforcement officer for the purposes of issuing the summary citation in this case.

Second, Jannini argued that the sidewalk was not a public sidewalk, but a private one.  Jannini contended that the public sidewalk was on the opposite side of the property.  Jannini argued that the Borough never proved that there was a public dedication of the sidewalk on his property – as opposed to the previous property owner simply adding a private sidewalk for personal reasons.  Jannini testified that the previous church had installed the private sidewalk solely for the use of its congregation – not the general public.

The Borough pointed to a 1924 ordinance that established the geometric parameters for the Borough streets and sidewalks.  The trial court concluded that the 1924 ordinance created an easement for public use of sidewalks within the Borough – and thereby vested the Borough with the ability to control those sidewalks – including the one that Jannini had converted to a flower bed.

The Commonwealth Court noted that the Borough Code gives boroughs the power to enact an ordinance that would require property owners to construct and maintain sidewalks, but boroughs are under no duty to create such mandatory sidewalk construction ordinances.  The Borough Code also empowers a borough to require property owners to maintain sidewalks if the borough compels their construction.  The Borough Code provides that a borough may also make repairs to a sidewalk and then charge the costs back to the owner.

The Commonwealth Court noted that the central question is whether Greensboro Borough “required” the construction of the sidewalk on Jannini’s property.  If the prior property owner had constructed it voluntarily, then the Borough would not have the power to force maintenance of a voluntarily constructed sidewalk.

In reviewing the applicable ordinance, the Commonwealth Court concluded that it did not specifically require the construction of a sidewalk by the property owner.  Thus, the Commonwealth concluded: “There is no evidence to support a finding that Jannini was required by the Borough, via ordinance or otherwise, to have a sidewalk.  Thus, because Jannini is not required to have a sidewalk, the Borough cannot prohibit him from removing his sidewalk. . . .  Requiring a property owner to keep his sidewalk in a safe condition is different from requiring a property owner to continue to have forever and ever a sidewalk installed by choice.”

Jannini’s conviction was reversed – and he can keep his flower bed – unless the Borough decides to enact an ordinance requiring the construction of a sidewalk on the property – then he will have to pay to remove his flower bed, replace the sidewalk and maintain it thereafter forever and ever.

Acid reflux drugs: heart problems, cancer, dementia and other bad stuff

Jim came into the pharmacy and picked up a few boxes of a product that treats acid reflux. “Hey Doc,” he said to the pharmacist, “These pills are great. I can eat anything I want!” The pharmacist was reminded of the TV ad in which the corpulent Larry the Cable Guy plugs the benefits of Prilosec, supposedly taking one capsule so he can eat all the corn dogs, drum sticks and hot dogs he wants. The not-so-subliminal message is: You can still chow down on all sorts of junk, clog your arteries, and put on pounds because Prilosec will correct your poor eating habits. Wrong!

Prilosec (omeprazole) is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) that reduces the production of acid by blocking the enzyme in the wall of the stomach that produces acid. Acid is necessary for the formation of most ulcers in the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. Reduction of acid with PPIs prevents ulcers and allows any ulcers that exist in the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum to heal. Other PPIs include Prevacid (lansoprazole), Dexilent and Kapidex (dexlansoprazole), Aciphex (rabeprazole), Protonix (pantoprazole), Nexium (esomeprazole), and Zegarid (a rapid release form of omeprazole). Neither Zantac (ranitidine) nor Axid (nizatidine) are PPIs. Despite the fact that many of these drugs are now available OTC and as generics, they are dangerous to use over the long-term.

The results of two 2016 studies showed that excessive, long-term use of PPIs can increase the risk of dementia by 44% and kidney disease by 50%. PPIs may increase the risk of Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection. C. diff is a bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from copious diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon, especially in older people. High doses and long-term use (1 year or longer) may increase the risk of osteoporosis-related fractures of the hip, wrist, or spine. Prolonged use also reduces absorption of vitamin B12. Long-term use of PPIs has also been associated with low levels of magnesium (hypomagnesemia), which involve fatigue, muscle weakness and even convulsions.

Analysis of patients taking PPIs for long periods of time showed an increased risk of heart attacks. PPIs interfere with the ability of blood vessels to relax by reducing the ability of blood vessels to generate nitric oxide. Nitric oxide generated by the lining of the vessel is known to relax, and to protect, arteries and veins. PPIs can cancel this out, resulting in heart disease.

Cancer of the stomach (gastric cancer) can occur with long-term PPI use. Most such cancers found in patients taking PPIs occur within 1 year of their commencement. Conversely, PPIs can decrease your risk of esophageal cancer. This cancer is caused by acid and undigested food splashing up into your esophagus. Ask your pharmacist or physician whether or not to use a PPI to prevent esophageal cancer, which would require some testing to see if the tissues in the esophagus are damaged.

Jim asked the pharmacist about his “dependence” on a PPI. The pharmacist advised him to lose weight, avoid alcohol, smoking, and caffeine. Skip the greasy, fatty foods that can cause heartburn. Eat more fruits and veggies. With that, Jim vowed to analyze why he has heartburn and why he should not rely on PPIs for the purpose of eating the wrong foods. When it comes to the PPIs, the operative word here is “heal”. Your doctor may want you to take a PPI for a month to see if the GI tract has healed. Bottom line: use the lowest doses and shortest duration of treatment necessary for the condition being treated.

Ron Gasbarro, PharmD is a registered pharmacist, medical writer, and principal at Rx-Press.com. Write him with any ideas or comments at ron@rx-press.com. 

Let me tell you a fable. Consider, if you will, what conclusion the “prudent man” might reach at fable’s end. Suppose for the sake of our fable the subject character is a well-known liberal Supreme Court Justice by the name of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Our fable of her demise is set in February 2008. Here are the details.

 Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg was a guest at the Cibolo Creek Ranch, a luxury resort in the Big Bend region south of Marfa, and located in the No-Man’s-Land between the International Border and the Border Patrol’s Internal Checkpoint. According to the initial report Ginsburg arrived at the ranch on Friday and attended a private party with about 40 people. The gathering was at the ranch of John Poindexter, coincidentally a personal friend of and big financial contributor to President George W. Bush.  Justice Ginsburg was found dead “of apparent natural causes” Saturday at the West Texas ranch. She had gone to bed early on Friday night and had not shown up for breakfast the next morning. “Someone” had gone to check on Justice Ginsburg and found her dead.  Mr. Poindexter was quick to note that Justice Ginsburg had not eaten steak for supper the night before. And even odder, Poindexter further noted, “We discovered the judge in bed, a pillow over her head. Her bed clothes were unwrinkled. She was lying very restfully. It looked like she had not quite awakened from a nap.” Ginsburg did not have a pulse and her body was cold. And after consulting with a doctor in Alpine, Mr. Poindexter concluded resuscitation would have been futile. He then contacted federal authorities, at first encountering a series of answering services because he was calling on a weekend.

Later interviews revealed a more precise timeline. Mr. Poindexter and another friend of the late Justice had attempted to call her at 8:30 a.m. before going quail hunting and returning at 11 a.m. When Ginsburg still could not be reached after that Poindexter entered the room, the El Presidente Suite, where Ginsburg was found dead in bed.  The U.S. Marshal’s Service, which provides security for Supreme Court Justices, said that Ginsburg had declined a security detail while at the ranch, so marshals were not present when she died. When the marshals were notified, deputy marshals from the Western District of Texas went to the scene, the service said in a statement.

President Bush, it was later observed, received notification of Justice Ginsburg’s death about two hours after discovery--at least five hours before her death was made public. So it was not until a full seven hours after the body‘s discovery that the news media broke the story. A federal official who asked not to be named said there was no evidence of foul play and it appeared that Ginsburg died of natural causes. According to a CNN report, Ginsburg died in her sleep. An unnamed government official said Ginsburg went to bed Friday night and told friends she wasn’t feeling well. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Mr. Poindexter and his staff got in touch with the Presidio County Sheriff’s office. Sheriff Danny Dominguez and his deputies were the first law enforcement agency on scene after discovery of the body. Sheriff Dominguez insisted that the pillow was “above” Ginsburg’s head, not on it. (Of course, this was hours after discovery of the body.)

Two Justices of the Peace were contacted before County Judge Cinderela Guevara was reached and agreed to jurisdiction in the case. The two Justices of the Peace contacted prior to Judge Guevara were “out of town” and said they could not get to the ranch. Judge Guevara was in the town of Marfa shopping. She never came to the ranch and never examined the body of Justice Ginsburg. Guevara consulted with Sheriff Dominguez over the phone. Based at least partially on the information he provided, she declared that Ginsburg had died of “natural causes.” Sheriff Dominguez told her there was no need for her to come to the ranch.

With the cause of death definitely established as “natural causes,” Justice Ginsburg’s body was whisked away to a funeral home over a hundred miles away to be immediately embalmed for a funeral the following week. The Ginsburg family and Judge Guevara, it was reported, reached the joint decision that no autopsy was necessary.

Later disclosures revealed that Judge Guevara had also consulted with Justice Ginsburg’s doctor back in the national capital area. Reportedly, Ginsburg’s physician disclosed that Ginsburg had had appointments on both Wednesday and Thursday, and the Justice had had an MRI. Judge Guevara noted that Ginsburg had had a “shoulder injury,” but she also had several chronic ailments.

Meanwhile, back in Washington D.C., President George W. Bush announced almost immediately that he would fulfill his constitutional obligation to nominate a replacement for the vacant Supreme Court seat. He and fellow Republicans in the Senate took pains to stress that no “moderate” candidate would be nominated. To replace the far-left Ruth Bader Ginsberg the President would nominate a jurist reflecting HIS constitutional views. President Bush demanded Senate Democrats hold swift hearings on his nominee and return the court to a full team of nine justices as soon as possible. The following day President Bush announced he would NOT bother to attend Ginsburg’s funeral, but instead attend a rally with his political supporters.

That’s the end of our fable, but I hope every reader thinks about it and asks himself or herself a few questions. If this narrative of events had taken place in 2008, do you think the main stream media would have been completely disinterested in the circumstances surrounding the justice’s death? Do you think the media would have accused anyone asking questions of being a “conspiracy theorist?”  Do you think the media would have launched their own independent investigations to find out why Texas authorities violated State Law (Code of Criminal Procedure, Title 1. Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 49. Inquests Upon Dead Bodies, Article 49.04) in their failure to conduct an autopsy and formal inquest? 

Since the justice died without a physician in attendance and the circumstances of the death were unknown, do you not think the media would have had wall-to-wall coverage and investigation, with round-the-clock demands for an autopsy, or at least civil and criminal investigations to determine culpability?  Do you think there may have been just a teeny-weeny bit of loose talk that “someone” got away with murder?

And what of the Federal government’s actions or inactions? Would there not be endless questions as to why the Federal government did not assert jurisdiction for investigation of the death of a high-ranking Federal official in arguably one of the most important positions in the nation? And why was the body not immediately flown back to Washington, DC, for an autopsy at Bethesda Naval Hospital? There were not one, not two, but three Gulf Stream jets parked on the runway at Cibolo Creek Ranch’s private airport; could the President not have requested (or commandeered) one of them to bring the body back to our nation’s capital? Instead, the body was driven overland some three hours to a funeral home where all bodily fluids were poured down a drain and embalming completed PDQ; odd, no?

What of the President’s demands for quick hearings and confirmation of his nominee? What would one make of that presidential demand in light of Democratic Senator Charles Schumer’s speech in July 2007 that no Supreme Court nominee be considered for the rest of Bush’s term, although 18 months remained? What do we make of the Schumer Standard today when the shoe is now on the other foot, so to speak?

And finally, what would have been the media, political, and public reaction to a president who took pains to politicize the appointment process, and to antagonize every segment of the population with a differing viewpoint?  What, indeed, would be made of the President’s refusal to attend the funeral of arguably the most brilliant Supreme Court jurist in the last 50 years?

I am not claiming a murder was committed. Neither do I claim that the justice’s death was anything other than “natural causes.”  But I have no reason to claim I understand what those “natural causes” were because the controlling legal authorities botched or blocked standard operating procedure at every turn. There is no reason to confer trust upon the Texas or Federal authorities concerning the case before us.

What does this portend for us? “Alea iacta est.” (The die is cast.) America is in a world of hurt. Torches and pitchforks are coming for those who have taken our government captive. For anyone in doubt, the ascent of Sanders and Trump bear witness. He who has ears let him hear.

To Gentle Readers who wish to grasp the brilliance of what we have so abruptly lost, I recommend the book, “Reading Law,” by Antonin Scalia. Long live the Constitution. God bless America.

Obstacles serve a purpose: they give us a chance to find out how badly we want something.

Dear Readership,

I am honored to bring to the public a series of articles along with pictures and a history of our area here in Susquehanna and surrounding towns. Thank you to Chuck, Rita and Cheryl for contacting me and motivating me to do this project. My desire is to keep this history alive for future generations.  It is my contention that this area was very instrumental in the development and future prosperity of our great country and therefore the history needs to be passed on to future generations.

These articles, which will run at least every other week will include historical facts with some speculation and guessing based on the evidence at hand.

Exact dates and exact facts are difficult at best.  I will liken it to a book that is based on facts that will digress some along the way so bear with me for some possible errors. Sometimes, all I have when dating pictures is a design of a steam engine or a car to get it close to the actual time.

I am over 60 years of age and have lived here most of my life so I remember much from the late 50’s and early 60’s. My interest in the history of our area seemed to just happen out of the clear blue.  I have many relatives who worked and retired from the railroad so, naturally I am also curious of how and what they would have endured during those hard years of life.  Being a professional photographer I soon saw the interest from others in the older pictures, and a sense of nostalgia, while going back in our memories to a better time.  Also, most of us have parents and grandparents, born and raised here that had ties to the railroad.

We will explore, over a series of articles how it all developed, what natural circumstances changed things along the way, what caused the changes and what our ancestors had to endure during this early part of life in America.  Little things that many will not even know happened will be mentioned also.  This history is like a giant puzzle with many pieces still not placed on the board, missing, but together maybe we can add a few more pieces to the account. Much information comes from the Centennial booklet from 1953, old articles from the Transcript, lots of talking and computer sharing through like individuals with similar interests.

Feedback is welcome at my personal facebook page; send a friend request or email at joncburdick@yahoo.com.

Thanks in advance,
Jon C. Burdick

CHAPTER I – THE BEGINNING

During the Revolutionary War,  the only inhabitants in Susquehanna County were the American Indians.

This area was slow to populate in the late 1700’s because of its difficulty to reach,  too mountainous and animal infested. The Oneida Indians occupied the mountain in Oakland (oak hill) and the Tuscarora tribe the east bank of the Susquehanna River. The Iroquois claimed the right of conquerors over the whole country watered by the Susquehanna River, so all treaties were negotiated with them.

The United States is a relatively young country compared to most across the oceans. It is hard to imagine that just over 200 years ago, life as we know it was much different. It would be safe to say that the Indians probably lived along the river, possibly right near the Starrucca Viaduct and surely they would have lived near fresh water creeks like the Canawacta and Starrucca Creeks. For those who may not know the Canawacta Creek originates at Comforts Pond and runs under the concrete bridge at the base of Jail Hill. The Starrucca Creek has many small streams flowing into it. It goes through Starrucca with the a good size creek coming off of Buck Falls. Upstream  it runs through Thompson and finally, further back all the way up to Ararat, again with lots of creeks flowing into it. On the Oakland side, there are plenty of nice flat lands along the river with many streams flowing into the river, especially up and near the present day Golden Oak Golf Course and Pine Crest Camp Grounds.  With flooding a problem back then as it is now, I am also sure that the Indians were very adept to move quickly if need be so they also would have had camps and little settlements in our mountains. Even today our mountains are teamed with much game; imagine if you will how it must have been for the Indians and early settlers. We can only imagine how clean and pristine it must have been back then.  They surely lived hearty lives, with the same seasons we deal with now. They also had to deal sometimes with brutal weather conditions, rely on their own herbal medications, and absent of any trading posts close by. Again, they struggled for sure but became keen on survival techniques. However, things were about to change.

In 1787 Moses Comstock settled in the flats of Lanesboro, between the Canawacta and Starrucca Creeks. He built the first log cabin there and raised a couple of sons there. How he got here must have been quite an accomplishment. He originally was from Rhode Island. Moses was our first settler and because he picked an unsettled area between two fresh streams is remarkable in itself.  There is evidence of a road, or trail from Great Bend to the Cascade Creek and the Cascade Creek road was built to the Delaware River; that is quite a hike. The Cascade Creek is that little stream (now) that flows underneath the Damascus Lanesboro Road. It comes from those who know the area we call the Devils Punchbowl.  This area is significant later on and will be discussed in another chapter.  The railroad changed the dynamics of the Cascade Creek, which today is pretty small but it may have rivaled the Starrucca Creek at one time.  Moses survived this harsh life for another 12 years, while his sons, Asa and Abner carried on his legacy. There is no known history of his wife that I am aware of yet.  Moses and some of his family are probably buried somewhere over in that general area between the two fresh water creeks. It was not uncommon, even more recently into the last century, to bury loved ones in yards or property surrounding their homes.

Let’s explore the possibilities of why and how Moses Comstock came here.  He may have heard from the Indians or early trappers how rich and bountiful this area was, two beautiful fresh water streams, fish and game plentiful.  He may have blazed a trail off the Great Bend Trail or he may have possibly rafted down the Susquehanna from the north.  But more likely, if he originally lived in Rhode Island, he made his way to the Delaware River and then somehow made his way over to Lanesboro.  Even today our mountains are lush and rugged, an Indian trail is probably all he had to get over here. What an adventure that must have been. We should not be surprised, because the pioneers of the west did the same remarkable trek over hundreds of miles during the expansion of the west. It may be just plain old coincidence, he saw the area either by horse or boat and liked it. It would change everything. Soon others followed including Henry Drinker, a wealthy entrepreneur from Philadelphia who obtained 500,000 acres here and elsewhere.  Two years after Moses Comstock arrived here, Henry Drinker was instrumental in making or improving an existing trail from Great Bend to the Cascade Creek and onward to the Delaware River.  So can we assume that the existing road from Great Bend to Susquehanna is one of the first roads in this county?  I think so; the route was at least on parts of the existing road that we have today.

Timber was everywhere, and that was a big reason for other settlers eventually coming this way. The railroad was making its way to Deposit, NY, a land survey was done and land was purchased from Henry Drinker. Which way to get to Binghamton was their quandary.

Harmony Township was born.

Earliest Picture Of Main Street, Susquehanna. Credit Jon Burdick

I have seen the date placed for this at 1862; also a little earlier at about 1852 or so. Originally the Erie Railroad put in the shops quickly, then rebuilt and added on to it. If you notice, this picture shows the shops away from the Drinkers Street Bridge and further down. The Shops were eventually right along Main Street and much closer to the bridge, so I place this a couple years after the Viaduct was completed, about 1852. Very little had happened yet in the town, but this was about to change with an explosion of expansion. 

NEXT CHAPTER –“WE NEED A BRIDGE”