Bios: First Settlers Of Dushore Borough, Streby, 1903: Sullivan County, PA

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FROM HISTORY OF DUSHORE BOROUGH
George Streby, 1903

FIRST SETTLERS

John MOSIER, was a native of Switzerland, and there married Elizabeth
BAREY, a daughter of Peter BAREY.  They came to America in 1820, locating
first in New Jersey, later at Harrisburg, then near Cunningham, and then at
Sugar Hill, probably about 1823.  Mr. MOSIER was a blacksmith by trade.
His children were:
John MOSIER, deceased, of Illinois.
Lena, deceased, married James DICKEY, of Towanda, Pa.
Christian, deceased, of Colley.
Peter, deceased, of Dushore.
Mary, deceased, married Henry DIEFFENBACH, of Colley.
Daniel, of Missouri.
Sarah, deceased, married John MOYER, of Michigan.
Caroline, married Christian HOFFMAN, of Dushore.

Theodore PHINEY, a native of Connecticut, built a log house near the falls,
in what is now Dushore in 1819.  He never occupied the house himeself, but
John STOWERS occupied it for some time.  About 1818 a sawmill was built at
the same place, this rotted down, and in 1825 or 1826, James MURRAY built a
grist mill where the saw-mill had been locted.  The grist-mill was owned
and operated by John DIEFFENBACH, from 1840 to 1850, when the property was
sold to S.F. HEADLEY, just previous to the great flood, which took out the
grist-mill and the mill pond.  The mill was rebuilt by Mr. HEADLEY in 1854.

In 1829, Matthew McDOWELL, erected a building for a store on the lands now
owned by George H. WELLES, on the North side of Main street, and engaged in
the mercantile business.  The store was in charge of Henry W. COOPER, who
later purchased the business of McDOWELL.  Mr. COOPER erected another
building as his business increased.  On May 17, 1834, McDOWELL bought of
Freeman FAIRCHILD, about four acres of land joining his store lot for $50.
May 6, 1836, he sold the same land to B. COOLBAUGH, who sold out to Samuel
JACKSON, March 21, 1837.

Samuel JACKSON, was one of the leading business men of Dushore.  His
ancestors came to Pennsylvania with William PENN, locating in Chester Co.
For many generations they were connected with the Society of Friends or
Quakers.  A branch of the family settled Catawissa, Pa.  From there he
moved with his father to Toronto, Canada, where both engaged in
manufacturing hats, being hatters by trade.  In the war of 1812, Samuel
JACKSON joined the United States army, holding the rank of Captain.  At the
close of the war the family moved to Cherry township, engaging in the
mercantile business, first on Bahr's hill or Cherry hill, as it was then
known.  Seeing that the business interests would eventually be moved from
Cherry hill to Dushore, or Mosier Hollow as it was then called, Mr. JACKSON
moved his business from Cherry hill to the hollow, where Dushore is now
located.

The parents of Smauel JACKSON were Samuel and Hanna (DAVIS) JACKSON, and to
them were born eleven children:
John, born May 15, 1785.
William D., born December 12, 1787.
Samuel, born April 4, 1789.
Josiah, born May 8, 1791.
Mary, born December 20, 1793.
Elizabeth, born May 23, 1796.
Isaac, born August 2, 1798.
Joseph, born December 21, 1800.
Charles B., born February 23, 1803.
Elisha D., born September 10, 1805.
Hugh S., born February 28, 1809.

Samuel JACKSON, the third son of Samuel and Hanna (DAVIS) JACKSON, married
Miss Hanna SHINER, of Berwick, Sept. 29, 1814.  She was a daughter of
Andrew SHINER, who had the contract to build the Turnpike from near the
Long Pond to Monroeton.  Mr. JACKSON died January 25, 1840.  To Mr. and
Mrs. JACKSON were born ten children:
Gains Scott, born Oct. 7, 1816.
Andrew, born Jan. 2, 1819.
Eliza A., married George ELLIS.
Mary M., born in 1823, died in 1832.
Susan L., married Lewis MARTIN, of Cherry.
Angeline R., born 1828, died 1832.
George W., a farmer.
John P., an engineer
Hugh D., a farmer
Samuel J., merchant at Dushore.

Henry HUFFMAN, a native of Germany, came to America about 1840, and settled
at Dushore, buying a lot from John MOSIER, and engaging in the harness
business, on Main street, where the HOFFA homestead is now located.  He
soon commenced tanning the leather he used in making harness.  Some years
later he went to Reading where he expected to enter the tanning business on
a larger scale.  In 1849 his health failed and he returned to Dushore,
hoping to be benefitted by the change of climate, but he died within two
weeks, on August 19, 1849.  His son, Christian HOFFMAN, who had gone with
the father to Reading, returned, and after his father's death, remained at
Dushore, where he was engaged in the harness business.

Jacob DIEFFENBACH came to Dushore in 1829.  He was born in Montgomery
county in 1775.  He was a son of Conrad DIEFFENBACH who was born at Baden,
Germany, in 1743, and emigrated to America in 1764, locating at Falkner
Swamp, Pa.  There he married Catherine BETZ.  He afterward moved to
Montgomery county.  He had eleven children, Jacob being the third son.
Jacob DIEFFENBACH was a miller by trade, and married Chrstina GARDNER of
Lycoming county.  They reared a large family and their descendants are very
numerous in eastern and northern Sullivan county.  Mr. DIEFFENBACH died in
1860, and his wife 1859.  Their children were:
Susan, married Jacob FULLMER.
Daniel.
Elizabeth, married Christol SPRINGER.
Sarah, married William KESSNER.
Charles, of Overton.
John, of Dushore.
Hannah, married Adam THRASHER.
Mary, married Anthony WEAVER.
Jacob, of Cherry.
Henry, of Colley.
Rebecca, married Amos REESER.

John DIEFFENBACH was born in Columbia county, Pa., in 1813.  In 1829 he
came to Dushore with his parents and from 1840 to 1850, owned and operated
the gristmill.  In 1850 he purchased a farm near Dushore, where he lived
until the closing years of his life.  In 1857 he was elected county
commissioner and re-elected in 1860.  He married Elizabeth HOFFA, a
daughter of Jacob and Catherine (SWALLOW) HOFFA.  She was born in
Schuylkill county in 1819.  Mrs. DIEFFENBACH died in 1886.  Mr. DIEFFENBACH
married again, his second wife being Mrs. Caroline SUBER, the widow of
Benjamin SUBER.  She was a sister of his first wife.  Mr. DIEFFENBACH died
at Sayre, Pa. in 1903. To John and Elizabeth DIEFFENBACH were born:
Hanna, deceased, married John LAWRENCE, of Dushore.
Jacob, died in 1840, at the age of 3 years.
Daniel E., of Dushore.
John S., lieutenant of Company D, 141st regiment, P.V.I. died in the army,
Oct. 11, 1862.
Henry S., a veteran of the Civil war, died in 1871.
Catherine A., married Julius VOGEL, of Sayre, Pa.
Clinton A., of Cherry township.
George F., of Columbia county.
Elizabeth, married George HEVERLY, of Sayre, Pa.

William McHENRY, was born in Fishing Creek township, Columbia county, in
1818.  He came to Dushore in 1859.  Mr. McHENRY belongs to a family which
located in America before the Revolutionary war.  The pioneer, Daniel
McHENRY, was born in Scotland in 1836(sic), and on coming to America,
located in Columbia county.  He was a sargeant of a company in the
Revolutionary war.  He married Mary STEVENS, who was the mother of eight
children.  A son, Daniel McHENRY, Jr., married Polly COLEMAN, and to them
were born ten children, of these, William, the subject of this sketch, was
twice married, his first wife being Charity A. ALBERSON, a daughter of
William ALBERSON, of Columbia County.  Of this union two children were
born.  In 1850 he married Pricilla KINSLEY, a daughter of Dr. Charles
KINSLEY, of Dushore, and to them seven children were born.  Mr. McHENRY
died in 1903.  His children were:
George L., of Dushore.
Angeline, married Seth JOHNSON.
Frank, of Waverly.
Rush J., of Dushore.
William, of Pittsburg, Pa.
John S., of Mahaffay, Pa.
Sarah, widow of Henry BALLARD.
Ellen, married Josiah SMITH, of Dushore.
Maude, of Dushore.

Cornelius CRONIN came to Dushore in 1857.  He purchased 80 acres of land of
John MOSIER.  On this land a large portion of the town in now located.  Mr.
CRONIN was a native of County Core, Ireland. He came to America at an early
date and taught school for some time when a young man.  He was twice
married, his first wife being Elizabeth STALFORD, a daughter of John R.
STALFORD, of Wyalusing.  His second wife was Mary McDUFFEE.  Mr. CRONIN was
engaged in the mercantile and tanning business.  He died in 1893 at the age
of 85 years.  His children were:
John H., of Dushore.
Julia M., of Dushore.
Mary, married P. CONNOR, of Bernice.

Peter MOSIER was born in Switzerland in 1819.  He was a son of John and
Elizabeth (BAREY) MOSIER.  The family came to America in 1820, and after a
brief stay at Harrisburg and Cunningham, came to Sugar Hill, Cherry
township, probably about 1823, and in 1825 moved to the valley where
Dushore is now located.  Peter MOSIER purchased 25 acres of land from his
father, now owned by Willis P. MOSIER.  In 1841 he married Caroline
HOTTENSTEIN, a daughter of Jacob HOTTENSTEIN, of Overton.  The history of
the HOTTENSTEIN's dates back to 380 A.D., in Australia.  The American
branch of the family dates back to 1729, when three brothers settled in
Berks county.  The children of Mr. and Mrs. Peter MOSIER were:
John, deceased, of Wilmot.
Solomon, of Dushore.
George W., of Cherry.
Hanna C., married Joseph YONKIN, of Cherry.
Willis P., lives on the homestead.

Joseph DIBLING came to Dushore from Fishing Creek, Columbia county, in
1849.  He married Anna THALL, a daughter of Dennis and Magdaline THALL,
natives of Germany, who came to America in 1820, locating in Philadelphia,
and in 1820 settled in Cherry township.  Mr. DIBLING was a wheelwright, and
worked at his trade.  He and his son Frank, also engaged in the undertaking
business, which is now conducted by Dibling & Martin.  Mr. DIBLING built
the Dushore house and also the building now occupied by Mr. UTZ's
blacksmith shop.  Mr. DIBLING died in 1885 aged 72 years, and Mrs. DIBLING
in 1900.  Their children were:
Frank, of Dushore.
Mary, married John BRENNEN, of Towanda.
Joseph, died at the age of 2 years.
Anna, married P. MARTIN, of Dushore.
Joseph 2nd, died at the age of 2 years and 9 months.
Ella, died at the age of 1 year and 6 months.

Aaron HOFFA, came from Northumberland county to Dushore in 1854.  He was
born in Schuylkill county.  He married Mary SHERRY, who was also a native
of Schuylkill county.  Mr. HOFFA purchased a small tannery, which had been
built by Jesse STALFORD, some time previous, on the site where Henry
HUFFMAN erected a small tannery some time after 1840.  Mr. HOFFA engaged in
the tanning business until 1863, when he died.  The business was conducted
for some time after by the estate and later by J.S. HOFFA, of Dushore.  The
children of Mr. and Mrs. Aaron HOFFA were:
Mariah, married Dr. HARSHBARGER, deceased, of New Albany.
Sarah, deceased
Susie, married Dr. Sanford E. BENJAMIN, deceased, of Dushore.
John, of Dushore.
William, of Dushore.
Emanuel, of Dushore.
W.B., of Mildred.
C.W., of Dushore.
Harry, of Dushore.
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