Luzerne County Happenings, 1868

Priscilla D. Austin (1840-1904) wrote the above letter to her brother, Joseph Bradley Austin (1850-1901) on 27 December 1868. She was in Middletown, PA with her husband, David Larish (1830-1892), a Methodist Episcopal [MEC] clergy, and their only child, Elmer Harry Larish (1868-1899). [A lightly edited transcript of the letter is below.]

I don’t know which Middletown Priscilla was visiting when she wrote and context doesn’t give much help. Four Middletowns in PA pop up when a broad search is done, the most prominent one being on the Sequahanna River. Middletown, CT isn’t far much farther away and it is the location of Wesleyan University which was started by the MEC in 1831. Finally, there was a Middletown in Luzerne County, near Hazleton, that no longer exists.

Joseph Bradley “J.B.” Austin (1850-1910), who was living in family home in Muhlenburg, Union Township, PA in 1868, would marry Sarah C. Dymond (1846-1927) in 1872. Joseph held “several offices” in Union Township and was the tax collector when he died. They had four children. [Townships are “the lowest level of municipal incorporation of government.]

Priscilla mentions two preachers associated with the meeting at Bear Creek Church. Rev. Miner Swallow (1815-1898) married Eliza Mary Dobson (1821-1893) in 1840 and they had no children. At the time of the Bear Creek meeting Priscilla described, Swallow was on the Wyoming Annual Conference‘s “supernumerary list.” Rev. Dr. Rueben Nelson (1818-1879) married Jane Scott Eddy (1819-1899) in 1842 and they had three children. Nelson was a founder and the first president of Wyoming Seminary founded in 1844 in Kingston, PA. At the time of his death he was “senior book agent in charge of the Methodist Book Concern in New York City. At the time of the Bear Creek meeting describe by Priscilla, Nelson was “principle elder of the Wyoming District.” Both of these preachers are buried in Forty Fort Cemetery in Forty Fort, PA.

Monema A. Austin (1845-1916), sister to Priscilla and J.B., married David Doty (1840-1917), a farmer and a descendant of David Doty who was among the passengers aboard the Mayflower. An obituary observed that Monema, “during her entire life, she had never ridden on a train or in an automobile, or even as much as went to see her step-children.” She was survived by four step-children.

Finally, Margaret “Maggie” Austin, the third sister, was born in about 1836 and died, according to online genealogists, in 1877. I found Luzerne County newspaper articles that said a Margaret Austin married David Ross, Jr. in June 1876, and a Margaret Austin married Reuben D. Arnold in July 1876. I could find nothing more.

The parents of these children were Peter Austin (1806-1872) and Casandra Santee (1810-). The online genealogy of this family is extremely inaccurate in some cases.

Here is a lightly edited transcription of Priscilla’s letter:

Middletown, December 27th, 1868

Dear Brother,

You’re very kind and welcome letter came to hand some time since. Its contents were perused with much pleasure. There is not a person in the world that loves to hear from absent friends more than I. It is my joy beyond measure for me when I can associate with kind friends and converse with them verbally face to face. And when deprived of that privilege, it is a great pleasure for me to receive letters from them. I often think of home and the loved ones there. I fancy I can see the group seated around the fire and hear them talking and laughing as they used to do in by gone days when I had the pleasure of sitting with them. I think I would love to be there and join with you for a short season at least, but I am deprived of that privilege at present, and am therefore content with my lot. And if we should never meet again on earth it is joy for me to know that we may meet in heaven above where we will never part again.___________The reason I did not answer your letter before is this: I have not been at home since mother went away until yesterday. I was at Bear Creek and I did not get a chance to write. I enjoyed my visit there very well. The people were very kind to me, but Harry was sick nearly all the time I was there, which was not very pleasant. Last Sunday he was very sick all day. I began to think that I would not get home with him very soon but on Monday he was better and has been getting better ever since. He is quite well now.

Well, I suppose you would like to know how the meeting is going at Bear Creek. Rev. Miner Swallow was there in Dr. Nelson’s place. They had a meeting on Saturday night and on Sunday and Sunday night. Then it was so stormy during the week following that they could not have a meeting much of the time. There was no one at the alter of prayer until one week ago. Last Thursday night there were two who came forward since that time. There have been two converted and there are five still seeking the pearl of great price. I hope that there will be a great revival there, for Bear Creek is a very wicked place. Pray for us that we may have good success.

Tell Monema I received her letter last week and will answer it when the meeting closes. Tell her to write again for she owes me a letter yet. I was glad to hear that mother and Mira had a safe journey home and also that they were pleased with their visit for I was tempted to believe that they were both homesick while they were here and did not enjoy their visit, but if they did I am glad. I hoped to see more of you out here during the winter but I suppose mother was so discouraged before she got here because the road is so long from Wilkes Barre over here that I need not expect any more of you to visit me while I stay here. _______________Tell mother that Harry did not forget how to drum while he was at Bear Creek. He can drum better now than he could when she was here. He can sit alone now.

I want you to write as soon as you get this and let me know how that big meeting is going on that mother said Maggie talked so much about. I will not dare go to McKendree Church anymore if they are so nice there. I am afraid they will be proud and you know I do not like proud people.

Joseph, you must not let Mr. Nagle sit by the side of Sis. That will never do. It made you feel bad, did it not? Tell Maggie she must get by the side of Louis Wheeler when she goes to church. Do Lizzie G. and Wesley W. sit together in church?

Well, I guess you will think that this is a long letter and nothing in it, and you will think right if you do. If you get tired of reading it just put it in the fire and it will be out of your way. Give my love to father, mother, Maggie, Monema and all my friends. Tell them I would like to see them all once more but do not know when that will be. Larish sends his love to you all and says he wants you all to come and see us. Write soon and tell me all the news. Yours truly, Priscilla