Wells, Stephen 'Walter' b. 25 Feb 1836 Oswayo Twp, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA d. 14 Aug 1893 Oswayo Twp, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA: WETZEL Extended Family & More

Wells, Stephen 'Walter'

1836 - 1893 (57 years)

Name	Wells, Stephen 'Walter' [1, 2]
	20180807 Passau, on the Danube- John Walter & Eloise M. Stebbins Wells in the Pennsylvania, County Marriage Records, 1845-1963 Note: Image not downloading, nor from internet. Name: John Walter Wells Gender: Male Race: White Age: 24 Birth Date: abt 1869 Marriage Date: 26 Sep 1893 Marriage Place: Coudersport, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA Father: Walter Wells Mother: Sarah M. Wells Spouse: Eloise M. Stebbins Certificate Number:601 Name: Eloise M. Stebbins Gender: Female Race: White Age: 23 Birth Date: abt 1870 Marriage Date: 26 Sep 1893 Marriage Place: Coudersport, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA Father: Pierre A Stebbins Mother: Mary E. Stebbins Spouse: John Walter Wells Certificate Number:601 Source Citation Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania County Marriages, 1852-1973; County: Potter; Year Range: 1893 - 1896; Roll Number: 549839 Source Information Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, County Marriage Records, 1845-1963 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Original data: Pennsylvania County Marriages, 1845-1963. Various Counties (155 Rolls). Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Birth	25 Feb 1836	Oswayo Twp, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Gender	Male
Residence	Between 1860 and 1880	Oswayo Twp, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA [1]
business	Bef 1877	Oswayo, Oswayo, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA [7]
	Oswayo village of pre-tannery days comprised C. A. Pinneo’s steam saw mill, G. W. Tyler’s saw and shingle mills, W. Deiter’s shingle mill, the Oswayo Hotel, general stores of S. Beebe, W. Wells and W. McDougall and the grocery store of J. Haskins. There were offices for three doctors and four attorneys: W. B. Graves, W. Colegrove, H. Snath and W. M. Wilber. Smith & Jones operated a wagon and blacksmith shop; there were two boot and shoe shops, a cooper shop, an undertaker and two resident ministers. Construction of the tannery began early in 1877
	20240317GHLn- Oswayo, Potter Co., Pa, extracted from Historical Sketches of Potter County https://www.paintedhills.org/POTTER/Oswayo/oswayophotos.html#Oswayo%20Famous%20for%20White%20Pine Oswayo, Potter Co., Pa. Photos Circa Late 1800's Early 1900's, Courtesy of Dan Nyeste and others Submitted By Frankie Stonemetz Oswayo Famous for White Pine Extracted from Historical Sketches of Potter County Transcribed and Submitted by Frankie Stonemetz The Oswayo Valley had one of the best and most extensive white pine forests in all Pennsylvania. The Indians had long known the region as the place of pines. The name Oswayo is the English derivative of the Seneca word “0-sa-ayeh,” meaning pine forest. This forest reached from the Allegheny below Portville to the headwaters of Oswayo Creek, overflowing into the upper valleys of the Allegheny and the Genesee. The trees stood so close together that no underbrush could live, except an occasional clump of laurel, as they towered up to almost unbelievable heights of 100 to 150 feet. They were often four; five or even six feet in diameter at the base and the lowest branches were from 50 to 75 feet above the ground. The first sawmill in this vast forest was that of Francis King at Ceres in 1798. It was not long until other crude mills were busily at work. Often the saw was the only metal in the mill and this merely a long band of steel with teeth cut into one edge. It worked up and down as a hand saw is used. If a log was especially large, 20 or 30 minutes were required to saw off one board. Some logs were rafted to Pittsburgh and others were banked and rolled into the water during the spring floods to be floated down to Weston Brothers’ mill at Portville. By the time of the War of the Rebellion [Civil War] the best of the pine forests in the Oswayo Valley was gone. In 1879, there were not over 1,000 acres of virgin white pine left in the Oswayo Valley. 1889 saw the last run of pine logs down the stream to the big mills. Early in 1829, two settlers moved into the Oswayo Valley. William Shattuck located outside the village, while Thomas Peabody constructed a cabin on the south side of the stream in what was later to become the village. John Wells came in the latter part of 1829 or early in 1830 and started a potash factory or ashery about a half mile above the village. He would haul his finished products to Rochester and exchange it for groceries, which he would sell to his neighbors. Also in 1830, Noah Crittenden came from Springwater Township, NY, and settled within the future borough limits. He built the first sawmill in the village to manufacture pine lumber in 1845. He did not use the stream to transport his lumber; instead he hauled it 75 miles to Dansville, NY., and sold it for $7.00 a thousand. The round trip took four days. Emphasizing the conditions under which the pioneers lived and their dependence upon others for dire necessities occurred early in the history of the village. Soon after building his cabin, Peabody was forced to go six miles to Allen’s house in Clara Township for fire to light his hearthstone. On returning he gave the cinders to his children to build the fire and went to look for his cows. Later securing the cows, he found the fire had gone out and he made the second trip to Allen’s. This time he set fire to pieces of dry wood along his trail. By the year 1834, Sheldon Bradley was maintaining a hotel for travelers. The township assessors’ list for the same year gave the names of 13 resident taxpayers and the census of 1840 showed a population of 101. In 1840, a log schoolhouse was built and seven years later the school had been removed and William McDougall had built a store there. The nucleus of the town had been well established in the days before the Civil War. Early settlers earned their living harvesting the white pine. Since it was of high quality, Pittsburgh and cities along the Ohio specified “Oswayo White Pine.” Several saw mills in the village cut the trees into boards and timbers to be splashed out on the high waters. The village was first called Brindleville. Thomas Gale, one of the early settlers, is said to have had a span of brindle oxen, which was sufficiently unique to warrant the naming of the town in their honor. The name was probably fixed as Oswayo upon the establishment of the first Post Office some time prior to 1850. The Oswayo village of pre-tannery days comprised C. A. Pinneo’s steam saw mill, G. W. Tyler’s saw and shingle mills, W. Deiter’s shingle mill, the Oswayo Hotel, general stores of S. Beebe, W. Wells and W. McDougall and the grocery store of J. Haskins. There were offices for three doctors and four attorneys: W. B. Graves, W. Colegrove, H. Snath and W. M. Wilber. Smith & Jones operated a wagon and blacksmith shop; there were two boot and shoe shops, a cooper shop, an undertaker and two resident ministers. Construction of the tannery began early in 1877 upon ten acres of land obtained from Thomas Crittenden. Sorenberger & Gray completed the tannery and started its operation but sold it to the P. H. Costello Company in 1879. The Costello Company built homes for the employees, which were later owned by the workers. Lapham & Company purchased the Costello holdings when Costello moved to North Wharton. The last owner was the Penn Tanning Company, which purchased the property in 1893. The tannery was destroyed by fire on June 20, 1903. When the village was organized into a borough in March 1901, there were probably about 1,000 people living in the new municipality. The tannery was running to capacity and employed about 100 men. In 1899, the Pennsylvania Stave Company had built a plant below the tannery for the manufacture of barrel staves. A heading mill, employing between 70-75 men, began in 1901. More men were working in the woods getting out logs and bark for the industries. The streets were, of course, unpaved and during periods of wet weather were nothing but knee-deep mud. However there were good board walks on each side and also two or three cross walks made of planks across Main Street allowing citizens to get from one side to the other without getting completely mired. To the village of Oswayo belongs the credit for having the first graded school in the county. This was opened in 1866 and continued until 1876 when the building burned. Afterward the good citizens decided they preferred to have two one-teacher schools of all grades rather than require the children to walk the extra distance to a graded school. However a school was built in 1893 on the north end of School Street with four classrooms and a spacious hall. Local people were justly proud of this school and its teachers. This interest in schools was a factor in the organization of the borough. As long as the village was part of the township, no more than two or three board members lived within the village with the remainder scattered all over the township. Under the borough all six members of the Board were residents of Oswayo where they had a common interest in the school. They maintained a three-year high school until the mid 1920’s. After a fire the building was renovated and became a two-room school, which operated until 1947. A one-teacher school was kept until 1955 when all grades were bused to Shinglehouse as part of the Oswayo Valley School System. The Seventh Day Baptists were the first to hold regular services in the area. Before 1834, a Mr. Avery preached the Baptist doctrine to the first settlers. The Baptists organized a building committee and had the frame of a church completed in 1877 when, for lack of funds, the building was abandoned. In 1859, the Methodist Church was built on Main Street and for over 40 years was the only church building in Oswayo. The United Brethren finally became strong enough to build a church on School Street in 1903 but the Catholic Church never materialized. Tragedy struck the village on November 18, 1900, when fire destroyed the McGonigal House along with the hotel barns and Opera House. Four persons perished in the flames, which were credited to an over-pressure of gas. The early 1900’s were twenty years away from such entertainment as radio and forty years from television. After supper there was little to do but sit at home and read or listen to talking machines. The Oswayo Cornet Band met every Tuesday night for rehearsals and on Friday evenings gave a concert in the Payne & Estes Hall over the store for which they charged an admission of ten cents (or whatever you were able to pay) until they earned enough for uniforms. On other evenings the young folks paired off and strolled the sidewalks or sat in porch swings until the girl’s mother called her in. Since workdays were ten hours for six days in the week, sparking time was short as workers began their daily strife at seven the next morning. Among the old time residents of Oswayo were: Mr. [A. B.] Payne (postmaster) and A. B. Estes, who ran the largest general store; W. W. Crittenden, local businessman who represented Potter County in the General Assembly; Walter Wells Sr., leading merchant and postmaster; John Lee, landlord of the Lee Hotel; Harry Lord, lawyer, merchant and justice of the peace; Samuel Beebe, pension attorney; Ansel Smith, lay preacher; Ernest Rice musician; Ernest Mills, druggist; and Arthur Wells, one of the later merchants, became the community’s unofficial banker and storekeeper. Fred Blackman began printing a weekly newspaper in 1900, which he named “The Oswayo Valley Record.” The paper folded in March 1902 and the equipment was removed to Port Allegany to be used by the Argus. The New York & Pennsylvania Railroad extended its lines to Oswayo in 1894 where it served the tannery, stave mill, the local businesses and farmers. It gave the residents a connection with the outside world as they ran four passenger trains each day. As business declined and the automobile began to usurp passenger traffic, business for the railroad fell off and the line was abandoned in June of 1936. Oswayo probably reached its peak in population of 1000 or more during the later years of the 1890’s. Since it was then part of the township, the number of residents can only be estimated. It was not counted as a borough until 1910 and the census then showed only 382 residents. By this time the population had begun to decline rapidly as the total population for the borough and township was 700 less than the township population in 1900. The tannery had been destroyed by fire in 1903 and the stave plant, last industry, closed in 1916. By 1920 the census showed only 209 residents. The town, which had once boasted of 20 business places on Main Street, was reduced to a village smaller than the one that existed previous to the Civil War. Some residents commute by automobile to work in other towns while others are still engaged in agriculture or logging. A State Fish Cultural Station, located above the village, now gives employment to a number of area residents. Back to Potter County If you have anything of genealogical or historical interest to add to this site, or if you are interested in becoming a member of the Painted Hills Genealogy Society, please contact us at: Painted Hills This page is maintained by the PHGS Last Update April 16, 2016 © 2002-2023 by The Painted Hills Genealogy Society
Death	14 Aug 1893	Oswayo Twp, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA [1, 3, 5]
Burial	Aft 15 Aug 1893	Wells Cemetery, Oswayo, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA [1, 3, 5]
	20200606HAv- Walter Wells Photo added by Nancy Thomas Picture of headstone Added by Nancy Thomas Walter Wells BIRTH 25 Feb 1836 Pennsylvania, USA DEATH 14 Aug 1893 (aged 57) Oswayo, Potter County, Pennsylvania, USA BURIAL Wells Cemetery Oswayo, Potter County, Pennsylvania, USA MEMORIAL ID 46762969 · PHOTOS 2 FLOWERS 0 Son of John Wells, Jr., and Polly Potter. Husband of Sarah M. Lyman, whom he married on Nov. 13, 1858, in Oswayo, Potter, PA. Family Members Parents John Wells 1793-1869 Polly Potter Wells 1799-1853 Spouse Sarah M. Lyman Wells 1836-1906 (m. 1858) Siblings Mary Sardinia Wells Pierce Stearns 1823-1915 Sally Ann Wells Potter 1831-1908 (m. 1851) Welthy Wells Simmons 1836-1862 Flowers Leave a Flower
office	Bef 1900	Potter County, Pennsylvania, USA [7]
	Among the old time residents of Oswayo were: Mr. [A. B.] Payne (postmaster) and A. B. Estes, who ran the largest general store; W. W. Crittenden, local businessman who represented Potter County in the General Assembly; Walter Wells Sr., leading merchant and postmaster; John Lee, landlord of the Lee Hotel; Harry Lord, lawyer, merchant and justice of the peace; Samuel Beebe, pension attorney; Ansel Smith, lay preacher; Ernest Rice musician; Ernest Mills, druggist; and Arthur Wells, one of the later merchants, became the community’s unofficial banker and storekeeper. Fred Blackman began printing a weekly newspaper in 1900, which he named “The Oswayo Valley Record.” The paper folded in March 1902 and the equipment was removed to Port Allegany to be used by the Argus.
	20240317GHLn- Oswayo, Potter Co., Pa, extracted from Historical Sketches of Potter County https://www.paintedhills.org/POTTER/Oswayo/oswayophotos.html#Oswayo%20Famous%20for%20White%20Pine Oswayo, Potter Co., Pa. Photos Circa Late 1800's Early 1900's, Courtesy of Dan Nyeste and others Submitted By Frankie Stonemetz Oswayo Famous for White Pine Extracted from Historical Sketches of Potter County Transcribed and Submitted by Frankie Stonemetz The Oswayo Valley had one of the best and most extensive white pine forests in all Pennsylvania. The Indians had long known the region as the place of pines. The name Oswayo is the English derivative of the Seneca word “0-sa-ayeh,” meaning pine forest. This forest reached from the Allegheny below Portville to the headwaters of Oswayo Creek, overflowing into the upper valleys of the Allegheny and the Genesee. The trees stood so close together that no underbrush could live, except an occasional clump of laurel, as they towered up to almost unbelievable heights of 100 to 150 feet. They were often four; five or even six feet in diameter at the base and the lowest branches were from 50 to 75 feet above the ground. The first sawmill in this vast forest was that of Francis King at Ceres in 1798. It was not long until other crude mills were busily at work. Often the saw was the only metal in the mill and this merely a long band of steel with teeth cut into one edge. It worked up and down as a hand saw is used. If a log was especially large, 20 or 30 minutes were required to saw off one board. Some logs were rafted to Pittsburgh and others were banked and rolled into the water during the spring floods to be floated down to Weston Brothers’ mill at Portville. By the time of the War of the Rebellion [Civil War] the best of the pine forests in the Oswayo Valley was gone. In 1879, there were not over 1,000 acres of virgin white pine left in the Oswayo Valley. 1889 saw the last run of pine logs down the stream to the big mills. Early in 1829, two settlers moved into the Oswayo Valley. William Shattuck located outside the village, while Thomas Peabody constructed a cabin on the south side of the stream in what was later to become the village. John Wells came in the latter part of 1829 or early in 1830 and started a potash factory or ashery about a half mile above the village. He would haul his finished products to Rochester and exchange it for groceries, which he would sell to his neighbors. Also in 1830, Noah Crittenden came from Springwater Township, NY, and settled within the future borough limits. He built the first sawmill in the village to manufacture pine lumber in 1845. He did not use the stream to transport his lumber; instead he hauled it 75 miles to Dansville, NY., and sold it for $7.00 a thousand. The round trip took four days. Emphasizing the conditions under which the pioneers lived and their dependence upon others for dire necessities occurred early in the history of the village. Soon after building his cabin, Peabody was forced to go six miles to Allen’s house in Clara Township for fire to light his hearthstone. On returning he gave the cinders to his children to build the fire and went to look for his cows. Later securing the cows, he found the fire had gone out and he made the second trip to Allen’s. This time he set fire to pieces of dry wood along his trail. By the year 1834, Sheldon Bradley was maintaining a hotel for travelers. The township assessors’ list for the same year gave the names of 13 resident taxpayers and the census of 1840 showed a population of 101. In 1840, a log schoolhouse was built and seven years later the school had been removed and William McDougall had built a store there. The nucleus of the town had been well established in the days before the Civil War. Early settlers earned their living harvesting the white pine. Since it was of high quality, Pittsburgh and cities along the Ohio specified “Oswayo White Pine.” Several saw mills in the village cut the trees into boards and timbers to be splashed out on the high waters. The village was first called Brindleville. Thomas Gale, one of the early settlers, is said to have had a span of brindle oxen, which was sufficiently unique to warrant the naming of the town in their honor. The name was probably fixed as Oswayo upon the establishment of the first Post Office some time prior to 1850. The Oswayo village of pre-tannery days comprised C. A. Pinneo’s steam saw mill, G. W. Tyler’s saw and shingle mills, W. Deiter’s shingle mill, the Oswayo Hotel, general stores of S. Beebe, W. Wells and W. McDougall and the grocery store of J. Haskins. There were offices for three doctors and four attorneys: W. B. Graves, W. Colegrove, H. Snath and W. M. Wilber. Smith & Jones operated a wagon and blacksmith shop; there were two boot and shoe shops, a cooper shop, an undertaker and two resident ministers. Construction of the tannery began early in 1877 upon ten acres of land obtained from Thomas Crittenden. Sorenberger & Gray completed the tannery and started its operation but sold it to the P. H. Costello Company in 1879. The Costello Company built homes for the employees, which were later owned by the workers. Lapham & Company purchased the Costello holdings when Costello moved to North Wharton. The last owner was the Penn Tanning Company, which purchased the property in 1893. The tannery was destroyed by fire on June 20, 1903. When the village was organized into a borough in March 1901, there were probably about 1,000 people living in the new municipality. The tannery was running to capacity and employed about 100 men. In 1899, the Pennsylvania Stave Company had built a plant below the tannery for the manufacture of barrel staves. A heading mill, employing between 70-75 men, began in 1901. More men were working in the woods getting out logs and bark for the industries. The streets were, of course, unpaved and during periods of wet weather were nothing but knee-deep mud. However there were good board walks on each side and also two or three cross walks made of planks across Main Street allowing citizens to get from one side to the other without getting completely mired. To the village of Oswayo belongs the credit for having the first graded school in the county. This was opened in 1866 and continued until 1876 when the building burned. Afterward the good citizens decided they preferred to have two one-teacher schools of all grades rather than require the children to walk the extra distance to a graded school. However a school was built in 1893 on the north end of School Street with four classrooms and a spacious hall. Local people were justly proud of this school and its teachers. This interest in schools was a factor in the organization of the borough. As long as the village was part of the township, no more than two or three board members lived within the village with the remainder scattered all over the township. Under the borough all six members of the Board were residents of Oswayo where they had a common interest in the school. They maintained a three-year high school until the mid 1920’s. After a fire the building was renovated and became a two-room school, which operated until 1947. A one-teacher school was kept until 1955 when all grades were bused to Shinglehouse as part of the Oswayo Valley School System. The Seventh Day Baptists were the first to hold regular services in the area. Before 1834, a Mr. Avery preached the Baptist doctrine to the first settlers. The Baptists organized a building committee and had the frame of a church completed in 1877 when, for lack of funds, the building was abandoned. In 1859, the Methodist Church was built on Main Street and for over 40 years was the only church building in Oswayo. The United Brethren finally became strong enough to build a church on School Street in 1903 but the Catholic Church never materialized. Tragedy struck the village on November 18, 1900, when fire destroyed the McGonigal House along with the hotel barns and Opera House. Four persons perished in the flames, which were credited to an over-pressure of gas. The early 1900’s were twenty years away from such entertainment as radio and forty years from television. After supper there was little to do but sit at home and read or listen to talking machines. The Oswayo Cornet Band met every Tuesday night for rehearsals and on Friday evenings gave a concert in the Payne & Estes Hall over the store for which they charged an admission of ten cents (or whatever you were able to pay) until they earned enough for uniforms. On other evenings the young folks paired off and strolled the sidewalks or sat in porch swings until the girl’s mother called her in. Since workdays were ten hours for six days in the week, sparking time was short as workers began their daily strife at seven the next morning. Among the old time residents of Oswayo were: Mr. [A. B.] Payne (postmaster) and A. B. Estes, who ran the largest general store; W. W. Crittenden, local businessman who represented Potter County in the General Assembly; Walter Wells Sr., leading merchant and postmaster; John Lee, landlord of the Lee Hotel; Harry Lord, lawyer, merchant and justice of the peace; Samuel Beebe, pension attorney; Ansel Smith, lay preacher; Ernest Rice musician; Ernest Mills, druggist; and Arthur Wells, one of the later merchants, became the community’s unofficial banker and storekeeper. Fred Blackman began printing a weekly newspaper in 1900, which he named “The Oswayo Valley Record.” The paper folded in March 1902 and the equipment was removed to Port Allegany to be used by the Argus. The New York & Pennsylvania Railroad extended its lines to Oswayo in 1894 where it served the tannery, stave mill, the local businesses and farmers. It gave the residents a connection with the outside world as they ran four passenger trains each day. As business declined and the automobile began to usurp passenger traffic, business for the railroad fell off and the line was abandoned in June of 1936. Oswayo probably reached its peak in population of 1000 or more during the later years of the 1890’s. Since it was then part of the township, the number of residents can only be estimated. It was not counted as a borough until 1910 and the census then showed only 382 residents. By this time the population had begun to decline rapidly as the total population for the borough and township was 700 less than the township population in 1900. The tannery had been destroyed by fire in 1903 and the stave plant, last industry, closed in 1916. By 1920 the census showed only 209 residents. The town, which had once boasted of 20 business places on Main Street, was reduced to a village smaller than the one that existed previous to the Civil War. Some residents commute by automobile to work in other towns while others are still engaged in agriculture or logging. A State Fish Cultural Station, located above the village, now gives employment to a number of area residents. Back to Potter County If you have anything of genealogical or historical interest to add to this site, or if you are interested in becoming a member of the Painted Hills Genealogy Society, please contact us at: Painted Hills This page is maintained by the PHGS Last Update April 16, 2016 © 2002-2023 by The Painted Hills Genealogy Society
Civil	20 Feb 1936 [6]
	Hollister, Ashbel PA,2625/54121 by Walter Pierre Wells age 30, John Walter age 67, Sarah Lyman 99... 99
	20200606HAv- Walter Pierre Wells in the U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Volume: 271 Name: Walter Pierre Wells Birth: 10 May 1905 Coudersport, Potter, Penna SAR mem: 54121 state: PA, 2625 desc: Ashbel Hollister Role: Applicant Date: 20 Feb 1936 Father: John Walter Wells Mother: Eloise Mann Stebbins Wells Name: John Walter Wells Birth: 27 Nov 1868 SAR: 54121, PA 2625 Role: Ancestor Appl'n: 20 Feb 1936 Father: Walter Wells Mother: Sarah M Lyman Spouse: Eloise Mann Stebbins Wells Children: Walter Pierre Wells Name: Sarah M Lyman Birth: 13 Jul 1836 Death: 1 Sep 1906 SAR: 54121, PA 2625 Role: Ancestor Appl'n: 20 Feb 1936 Father: Eleazer Lyman Mother: Mary E Hollister Spouse: Walter Wells Children: John Walter Wells Name: Eleazer Lyman II Birth: 12 Jun 1793 Death: 4 Feb 1878 SAR: 54121, PA 2625 Role: Ancestor Appl'n: 20 Feb 1936 Spouse: Mary E Hollister Children: Sarah M Lyman Name: Ashbel Hollister Birth: 4 Mar 1759 Glastonbury, Connecticut Death: 4 May 1840 Pawlet, Vermont SAR: 54121, PA 2625 Role: Ancestor Appl'n: 20 Feb 1936 Father: Amos Hollister Mother: Bathsheba Wadsworth Spouse: Mary Pepper Children: Mary E Hollister Name: Amos Hollister Birth: 1724 Death: 1779 SAR: 54121, PA 2625 Role: Ancestor Appl'n: 20 Feb 1936 Father: Josiah Hollister Mother: Martha Miller Spouse: Bathsheba Wadsworth Children: Ashbel Hollister Name: Josiah Hollister Birth: 1696 Death: 1766 SAR: 54121, PA 2625 Role: Ancestor Appl'n: 20 Feb 1936 Father: Thomas Hollister Mother: Dorothy Hill Spouse: Martha Miller Children: Amos Hollister Name: Thomas Hollister Birth: 1662 Death: 1742 SAR: 54121, PA 2625 Role: Ancestor Appl'n: 20 Feb 1936 Spouse: Dorothy Hill Children: Josiah Hollister Source Citation Volume: 271 Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Microfilm, 508 rolls. National Society, Sons of the American Revolution
Name	Walter Wells Esq. [3, 4, 5, 6]
Person ID	I56238	WETZEL-SPRING

Father	Wells, John Jr, b. 25 Nov 1793, Petersburg, Rensselaer, New York, USA d. 18 Mar 1869, Oswayo Twp, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 75 years)
Relationship	natural
Mother	Potter, Polly, b. 14 Mar 1799, Petersburg, Rensselaer, New York, USA d. 17 Aug 1853, Oswayo Twp, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 54 years)
Relationship	natural
Marriage	25 Jun 1818	Petersburg, Rensselaer, New York, USA [8]
Family ID	F12380	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family Lyman, Sarah M, b. 13 Jul 1836, Rutland County, Vermont, USA d. 31 Aug 1906, Oswayo Twp, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 70 years)

Marriage 13 Nov 1858 Oswayo Twp, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA [4]

Walter: Son of John Wells, Jr., and Polly Potter.
.
Husband of Sarah M. Lyman, whom he married on Nov. 13, 1858, in Oswayo, Potter, PA.

Children

	1. Wells, John Walter Esq Hon, b. 27 Nov 1868, Oswayo Twp, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA d. 1 Aug 1949, Coudersport, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 80 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]
	2. Wells, Arthur, b. 27 Nov 1861 [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]
	3. Wells, Ernest, b. 5 Oct 1864 [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]
	4. Wells, Myrtle, b. 17 Nov 1866 [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]

Family ID F39947 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Event Map

	Birth - 25 Feb 1836 - Oswayo Twp, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA
	Marriage - 13 Nov 1858 - Oswayo Twp, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA
	Residence - Between 1860 and 1880 - Oswayo Twp, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA
	Death - 14 Aug 1893 - Oswayo Twp, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA
	office - Among the old time residents of Oswayo were: Mr. [A. B.] Payne (postmaster) and A. B. Estes, who ran the largest general store; W. W. Crittenden, local businessman who represented Potter County in the General Assembly; Walter Wells Sr., leading merchant and postmaster; John Lee, landlord of the Lee Hotel; Harry Lord, lawyer, merchant and justice of the peace; Samuel Beebe, pension attorney; Ansel Smith, lay preacher; Ernest Rice musician; Ernest Mills, druggist; and Arthur Wells, one of the later merchants, became the community’s unofficial banker and storekeeper. Fred Blackman began printing a weekly newspaper in 1900, which he named “The Oswayo Valley Record.” The paper folded in March 1902 and the equipment was removed to Port Allegany to be used by the Argus. - Bef 1900 - Potter County, Pennsylvania, USA

= Link to Google Earth

Photos » Slide Show		OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA 20200606HAv- Walter Wells Photo added by Nancy Thomas Picture of headstone Added by Nancy Thomas Walter Wells BIRTH 25 Feb 1836 Pennsylvania, USA DEATH 14 Aug 1893 (aged 57) Oswayo, Potter County, Pennsylvania, USA BURIAL Wells Cemetery Oswayo, Potter County, Pennsylvania, USA MEMORIAL ID 46762969 · PHOTOS 2 FLOWERS 0 Son of John Wells, Jr.,…
		NAm Family Histories Hollister Fam- Sarah M Lyman.tmp 20181128HAv- p.238 THE HOLLISTER FAMILY (742.) Mary Hollister (Lyman) (Ashbel6, Amos5, Josiah4, Thomas3, John2, John1) Mary7, daughter of Ashbel6 Hollister and Mary Pepper was born March 19, 1804. She married Eleazar Lyman, March 6, 1833. He was born June 12, 1793, and died Feb. 4, 1878. Children: SEVENTH GENERATION p.239 +1714. Jennie Lyman,…
		NAm Family Histories Hollister Fam- Lyman 20181128HAv- p.238 THE HOLLISTER FAMILY (742.) Mary Hollister (Lyman) (Ashbel6, Amos5, Josiah4, Thomas3, John2, John1) Mary7, daughter of Ashbel6 Hollister and Mary Pepper was born March 19, 1804. She married Eleazar Lyman, March 6, 1833. He was born June 12, 1793, and died Feb. 4, 1878. Children: Sarah M Lyman in the North America, Family…
		OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA 20200606HAv- Walter Wells Photo added by Nancy Thomas Picture of headstone Added by Nancy Thomas Walter Wells BIRTH 25 Feb 1836 Pennsylvania, USA DEATH 14 Aug 1893 (aged 57) Oswayo, Potter County, Pennsylvania, USA BURIAL Wells Cemetery Oswayo, Potter County, Pennsylvania, USA MEMORIAL ID 46762969 · PHOTOS 2 FLOWERS 0 Son of John Wells, Jr.,…
		SAR Membership App 19360220 Hollister- Walter Pierre Wells.jpg 20200606HAv- SAR 54121 PA2675 Walter Pierre Wells dsc Ashbel Hollister_1 Walter Pierre Wells in the U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Volume: 271 Name: Walter Pierre Wells Birth: 10 May 1905 Coudersport, Potter, Penna SAR mem: 54121 state: PA, 2625 desc: Ashbel Hollister Role: Applicant Date: 20 Feb…
		SAR Membership App 19360220 Hollister- Walter Pierre Wells1
		SAR Membership App 19360220 Hollister- Walter Pierre Wells2 20210712GHLn- Notes empty SAR 54121 PA2675 Walter Pierre Wells dsc Ashbel Hollister_1
		Day-Lyman, Chas & EllenS at WalterWells 18740201 FB210401LNPoMcK 20210401HAv- Lanny Nunn 01 April 2021 · Potter/Mckean Genealogy Married Day Lyman - In Oswayo, Pa, February 1st, 1874, at the house of Walter Wells, Esq, by Rev. E.A. Rice, Mr. Charles Day and Miss Ellen S. Lyman, both of Oswayo. 0 Comments Write a comment…

Sources

[S1718] Public Member Trees 2018-, Lindley Family Tree? ?chris_spears61?.
Record for John Walter Wells 20180807 Passau, on the Danube- John Walter Wells (68) facts
http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=25796655927&indiv=try

[S1127] Ancestry.com, Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1964, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2014;), Wells, John Walter- Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1967; Certificate Number Range: 070051-072600.
Record for John Walter Wells (13) facts

20200606HAv-
John Walter Wells in the Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1967
Name: John Walter Wells
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 80y 8m 4d
res: 202 Allegany Ave
Coudersport
widowed
occ: Attorney, legal profession
Birth: 27 Nov 1868
Oswayo, Pennsylvania
Death: 1 Aug 1949 22:54h
Coudersport, Potter, Penna
cause: Acute cardiac myocardial failure
due to: Uremia
due to: Chr. nephritis w ..?..
592X
signed: R.H. Kazamierski? MD
Coudersport
Father: Stephen Walter Wells
born: Oswayo
Mother: Sarah Lyman
born: Vermont
Spouse: Eloise Stebbins Wells
inform: Katharine Wells Pett
Coudersport
burial: Aug 4, 1949
Eulalia Cemetery
Certificate Number: 71770

Source Citation
Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906-1967; Certificate Number Range: 070051-072600

Source Information
Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1967 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
Original data: Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906-1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

PA death cert 19490801John Walter Wells.jpg
20200606HAv-
John Walter Wells in the Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1967
Name: John Walter Wells
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 80y 8m 4d
res: 202 Allegany Ave
Coudersport
widowed
occ: Attorney, legal profession
Birth: 27 Nov 1868
Oswayo, Pennsylvania
Death: 1 Aug 1949 22:54h
Coudersport, Potter, Penna
cause: Acute cardiac myocardial…

[S1115] Ancestry.com, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;).
Record for John Jr Wells (31) facts

20200605HAv-
John Wells, Jr
Photo added by Nancy Thomas

John Wells, Jr
BIRTH 25 Nov 1793 New York, USA
DEATH 18 Mar 1869 (aged 75)
Oswayo, Potter County, Pennsylvania, USA
BURIAL Old Wells Cemetery
Oswayo, Potter County, Pennsylvania, USA
MEMORIAL ID 55532381 ·
PHOTOS 1
FLOWERS 1

Son of John Wells Sr. and Sarah Rider/Ryder. Husband of Polly Potter
******
"The Sabbath Recorder", Vol 25, No 17, p 87, Apr. 22, 1869.
In Oswayo, Pa., March 18th, 1869, at the residence of his son, John Wells, in the 76th year of his age.
Some time previous to his death, he requested one of his neighbors to ask me to write an obituary notice when he should have passed away. I am not is possession of all the facts that I could wish. He was a religious man, a Sabbath-keeper and I think a member of the Hebron Church. In his house, friends and strangers were made to feel that they were more than welcome.
He was a resident of Potter County thirty-seven years. By his industry and economy, he converted a portion of a wilderness into a comfortable, happy home.
H. P. Burdick. transcribed by Jon Saunders, contributor 47674050

Family Members
Parents John Wells 1763-1821
Sarah Ryder Wells 1770-1831
Spouse Polly Potter Wells 1799-1853 (m. 1818)
Siblings Polly Wells 1790-1825
Bridgett Wells Stillman 1792-1858
Nancy Wells 1793-1875
Lovina Wells Stillman 1798-1867
Elizabeth Wells 1806-1854
Jason Wells 1808-1835
Alonson Wells 1810-1850
Children Mary Sardinia Wells Pierce Stearns 1823-1915
Sally Ann Wells Potter 1831-1908
Welthy Wells Simmons 1836-1862
Walter Wells 1836-1893

Flowers
Left by Jon Saunders on 11 Sep 2012

Leave a Flower

[S1205] Ancestry.com, DAR North America Family Histories, 1500-2000, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2016;), Lyman, Sarah M. Book Title: The Hollister family of America : Lieut John Hollister of Wethersfield, Connecticut and his descend.
Record for Sarah M Lyman (27) facts
20181128HAv-
p.238 THE HOLLISTER FAMILY

(742.) Mary Hollister (Lyman)
(Ashbel6, Amos5, Josiah4, Thomas3, John2, John1)
Mary7, daughter of Ashbel6 Hollister and Mary Pepper was born March 19, 1804. She married Eleazar Lyman, March 6, 1833. He was born June 12, 1793, and died Feb. 4, 1878.
Children:
SEVENTH GENERATION p.239
+1714. Jennie Lyman, b.March 23, 1834; m. Rev. Henry Yale, May 8, 1860.
+1715. Sarah M. Lyman, b. July 13, 1836; m. Walter Wells, Nov. 13, 1858.
+1716. A. Sydney Lyman, b. April 28, 1840; m. Rachel Taggart, Oct. 10, 1861.
1717. Lucretia Lyman, b. April 11, 1844; d. Dec. 16, 1873.
1718. Ashbel Lyman, b. Sept. 29, 1846; d. Feb 1, 1863.

(743.) Hiel7 Hollister.
...

Sarah M Lyman in the North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000
Name: Sarah M Lyman
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 13 Jul 1836
1st Marriage: 13 Nov 1858
Father: Eleazur Lyman
Mother: Mary Hollister
Spouse: Walter Wells
Child: Arthur Wells
Ernest Wells
Myrtle Wells
Walter Wells

Source Citation
Book Title: The Hollister family of America : Lieut John Hollister of Wethersfield, Connecticut and his descend

Source Information
Ancestry.com. North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
20181128HAv-
p.238 THE HOLLISTER FAMILY

(742.) Mary Hollister (Lyman)
(Ashbel6, Amos5, Josiah4, Thomas3, John2, John1)
Mary7, daughter of Ashbel6 Hollister and Mary Pepper was born March 19, 1804. She married Eleazar Lyman, March 6, 1833. He was born June 12, 1793, and died Feb. 4, 1878.
Children:
SEVENTH GENERATION p.239
+1714. Jennie Lyman, b.March 23, 1834; m. Rev. Henry Yale, May 8, 1860.
+1715. Sarah M. Lyman, b. July 13, 1836; m. Walter Wells, Nov. 13, 1858.
+1716. A. Sydney Lyman, b. April 28, 1840; m. Rachel Taggart, Oct. 10, 1861.
1717. Lucretia Lyman, b. April 11, 1844; d. Dec. 16, 1873.
1718. Ashbel Lyman, b. Sept. 29, 1846; d. Feb 1, 1863.

(743.) Hiel7 Hollister.
...

Sarah M Lyman in the North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000
Name: Sarah M Lyman
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 13 Jul 1836
1st Marriage: 13 Nov 1858
Father: Eleazur Lyman
Mother: Mary Hollister
Spouse: Walter Wells
Child: Arthur Wells
Ernest Wells
Myrtle Wells
Walter Wells

Source Citation
Book Title: The Hollister family of America : Lieut John Hollister of Wethersfield, Connecticut and his descend

Source Information
Ancestry.com. North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

NAm Family Histories Hollister Fam- Sarah M Lyman.tmp
20181128HAv-
p.238 THE HOLLISTER FAMILY

(742.) Mary Hollister (Lyman)
(Ashbel6, Amos5, Josiah4, Thomas3, John2, John1)
Mary7, daughter of Ashbel6 Hollister and Mary Pepper was born March 19, 1804. She married Eleazar Lyman, March 6, 1833. He was born June 12, 1793, and died Feb. 4, 1878.
Children:
SEVENTH GENERATION p.239
+1714. Jennie Lyman,…

NAm Family Histories Hollister Fam- Lyman
20181128HAv-
p.238 THE HOLLISTER FAMILY

(742.) Mary Hollister (Lyman)
(Ashbel6, Amos5, Josiah4, Thomas3, John2, John1)
Mary7, daughter of Ashbel6 Hollister and Mary Pepper was born March 19, 1804. She married Eleazar Lyman, March 6, 1833. He was born June 12, 1793, and died Feb. 4, 1878.
Children:

Sarah M Lyman in the North America, Family…

[S1115] Ancestry.com, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;), Walter Wells.
Record for Walter Wells (16) facts

20200606HAv-
Walter Wells
Photo added by Nancy Thomas
Picture of headstone
Added by Nancy Thomas

Walter Wells
BIRTH 25 Feb 1836 Pennsylvania, USA
DEATH 14 Aug 1893 (aged 57)
Oswayo, Potter County, Pennsylvania, USA
BURIAL Wells Cemetery
Oswayo, Potter County, Pennsylvania, USA
MEMORIAL ID 46762969 ·
PHOTOS 2
FLOWERS 0

Son of John Wells, Jr., and Polly Potter.
Husband of Sarah M. Lyman, whom he married on Nov. 13, 1858, in Oswayo, Potter, PA.

Family Members
Parents John Wells 1793-1869
Polly Potter Wells 1799-1853
Spouse Sarah M. Lyman Wells 1836-1906 (m. 1858)
Siblings Mary Sardinia Wells Pierce Stearns 1823-1915
Sally Ann Wells Potter 1831-1908 (m. 1851)
Welthy Wells Simmons 1836-1862

Flowers
Leave a Flower

	OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA 20200606HAv- Walter Wells Photo added by Nancy Thomas Picture of headstone Added by Nancy Thomas Walter Wells BIRTH 25 Feb 1836 Pennsylvania, USA DEATH 14 Aug 1893 (aged 57) Oswayo, Potter County, Pennsylvania, USA BURIAL Wells Cemetery Oswayo, Potter County, Pennsylvania, USA MEMORIAL ID 46762969 · PHOTOS 2 FLOWERS 0 Son of John Wells, Jr.,…
	OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA 20200606HAv- Walter Wells Photo added by Nancy Thomas Picture of headstone Added by Nancy Thomas Walter Wells BIRTH 25 Feb 1836 Pennsylvania, USA DEATH 14 Aug 1893 (aged 57) Oswayo, Potter County, Pennsylvania, USA BURIAL Wells Cemetery Oswayo, Potter County, Pennsylvania, USA MEMORIAL ID 46762969 · PHOTOS 2 FLOWERS 0 Son of John Wells, Jr.,…

[S2011] Ancestry.com, U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2011;), Volume: 271.
Record for Walter Pierre Wells (9) facts
Record for John Walter Wells (17) facts ............ (19)
Record for Sarah M Lyman (20) facts ................ (30)
Record for Eleazer II Lyman (12) facts ............... (31)
Record for Mary E Hollister (21) facts ................. (40)
Record for Ashbel Hollister (18) facts ................. (48)
Record for Amos Hollister (16) facts ................... (54)
Record for Josiah Hollister (16) facts ................... (60)
Record for Thomas Hollister (10) facts ................ (60)

20200606HAv-
Walter Pierre Wells in the U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970
Volume: 271
Name: Walter Pierre Wells
Birth: 10 May 1905
Coudersport, Potter, Penna
SAR mem: 54121
state: PA, 2625
desc: Ashbel Hollister
Role: Applicant
Date: 20 Feb 1936
Father: John Walter Wells
Mother: Eloise Mann Stebbins Wells

Name: John Walter Wells
Birth: 27 Nov 1868
SAR: 54121, PA 2625
Role: Ancestor
Appl'n: 20 Feb 1936
Father: Walter Wells
Mother: Sarah M Lyman
Spouse: Eloise Mann Stebbins Wells
Children: Walter Pierre Wells

Name: Sarah M Lyman
Birth: 13 Jul 1836
Death: 1 Sep 1906
SAR: 54121, PA 2625
Role: Ancestor
Appl'n: 20 Feb 1936
Father: Eleazer Lyman
Mother: Mary E Hollister
Spouse: Walter Wells
Children: John Walter Wells

Name: Eleazer Lyman II
Birth: 12 Jun 1793
Death: 4 Feb 1878
SAR: 54121, PA 2625
Role: Ancestor
Appl'n: 20 Feb 1936
Spouse: Mary E Hollister
Children: Sarah M Lyman

Name: Ashbel Hollister
Birth: 4 Mar 1759
Glastonbury, Connecticut
Death: 4 May 1840
Pawlet, Vermont
SAR: 54121, PA 2625
Role: Ancestor
Appl'n: 20 Feb 1936
Father: Amos Hollister
Mother: Bathsheba Wadsworth
Spouse: Mary Pepper
Children: Mary E Hollister

Name: Amos Hollister
Birth: 1724
Death: 1779
SAR: 54121, PA 2625
Role: Ancestor
Appl'n: 20 Feb 1936
Father: Josiah Hollister
Mother: Martha Miller
Spouse: Bathsheba Wadsworth
Children: Ashbel Hollister

Name: Josiah Hollister
Birth: 1696
Death: 1766
SAR: 54121, PA 2625
Role: Ancestor
Appl'n: 20 Feb 1936
Father: Thomas Hollister
Mother: Dorothy Hill
Spouse: Martha Miller
Children: Amos Hollister

Name: Thomas Hollister
Birth: 1662
Death: 1742
SAR: 54121, PA 2625
Role: Ancestor
Appl'n: 20 Feb 1936
Spouse: Dorothy Hill
Children: Josiah Hollister

Source Citation
Volume: 271
Source Information
Ancestry.com. U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Original data: Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Microfilm, 508 rolls.
National Society, Sons of the American Revolution

	SAR Membership App 19360220 Hollister- Walter Pierre Wells.jpg 20200606HAv- SAR 54121 PA2675 Walter Pierre Wells dsc Ashbel Hollister_1 Walter Pierre Wells in the U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Volume: 271 Name: Walter Pierre Wells Birth: 10 May 1905 Coudersport, Potter, Penna SAR mem: 54121 state: PA, 2625 desc: Ashbel Hollister Role: Applicant Date: 20 Feb…
	SAR Membership App 19360220 Hollister- Walter Pierre Wells1
	SAR Membership App 19360220 Hollister- Walter Pierre Wells2 20210712GHLn- Notes empty SAR 54121 PA2675 Walter Pierre Wells dsc Ashbel Hollister_1

[S2350] paintedhills.org: Shinglehouse/Oswayo Valley, Oswayo Valley, Potter County, Penna.
Francis King (1) fact ........ (41)
20240318GHLn-
20240317GHLn- Oswayo, Potter Co., Pa, extracted from Historical Sketches of Potter County
https://www.paintedhills.org/POTTER/Oswayo/oswayophotos.html#Oswayo%20Famous%20for%20White%20Pine

Oswayo, Potter Co., Pa.
Photos Circa Late 1800's Early 1900's, Courtesy of Dan Nyeste and others
Submitted By Frankie Stonemetz

Oswayo Famous for White Pine
Extracted from Historical Sketches of Potter County
Transcribed and Submitted by Frankie Stonemetz

The Oswayo Valley had one of the best and most extensive white pine forests in all Pennsylvania. The Indians had long known the region as the place of pines. The name Oswayo is the English derivative of the Seneca word “0-sa-ayeh,” meaning pine forest. This forest reached from the Allegheny below Portville to the headwaters of Oswayo Creek, overflowing into the upper valleys of the Allegheny and the Genesee.

The trees stood so close together that no underbrush could live, except an occasional clump of laurel, as they towered up to almost unbelievable heights of 100 to 150 feet. They were often four; five or even six feet in diameter at the base and the lowest branches were from 50 to 75 feet above the ground.

The first sawmill in this vast forest was that of Francis King at Ceres in 1798.
It was not long until other crude mills were busily at work. Often the saw was the only metal in the mill and this merely a long band of steel with teeth cut into one edge. It worked up and down as a hand saw is used. If a log was especially large, 20 or 30 minutes were required to saw off one board.

Some logs were rafted to Pittsburgh and others were banked and rolled into the water during the spring floods to be floated down to Weston Brothers’ mill at Portville. By the time of the War of the Rebellion [Civil War] the best of the pine forests in the Oswayo Valley was gone. In 1879, there were not over 1,000 acres of virgin white pine left in the Oswayo Valley. 1889 saw the last run of pine logs down the stream to the big mills.

Early in 1829, two settlers moved into the Oswayo Valley.
William Shattuck located outside the village, while
Thomas Peabody constructed a cabin on the south side of the stream in what was later to become the village.
John Wells came in the latter part of 1829 or early in 1830 and started a potash factory or ashery about a half mile above the village. He would haul his finished products to Rochester and exchange it for groceries, which he would sell to his neighbors.

Also in 1830, Noah Crittenden came from Springwater Township, NY, and settled within the future borough limits. He built the first sawmill in the village to manufacture pine lumber in 1845. He did not use the stream to transport his lumber; instead he hauled it 75 miles to Dansville, NY., and sold it for $7.00 a thousand. The round trip took four days.

Emphasizing the conditions under which the pioneers lived and their dependence upon others for dire necessities occurred early in the history of the village. Soon after building his cabin, Peabody was forced to go six miles to Allen’s house in Clara Township for fire to light his hearthstone. On returning he gave the cinders to his children to build the fire and went to look for his cows. Later securing the cows, he found the fire had gone out and he made the second trip to Allen’s. This time he set fire to pieces of dry wood along his trail.

By the year 1834, Sheldon Bradley was maintaining a hotel for travelers. The township assessors’ list for the same year gave the names of 13 resident taxpayers and the census of 1840 showed a population of 101. In 1840, a log schoolhouse was built and seven years later the school had been removed and William McDougall had built a store there.

The nucleus of the town had been well established in the days before the Civil War. Early settlers earned their living harvesting the white pine. Since it was of high quality, Pittsburgh and cities along the Ohio specified “Oswayo White Pine.” Several saw mills in the village cut the trees into boards and timbers to be splashed out on the high waters.

The village was first called Brindleville. Thomas Gale, one of the early settlers, is said to have had a span of brindle oxen, which was sufficiently unique to warrant the naming of the town in their honor. The name was probably fixed as Oswayo upon the establishment of the first Post Office some time prior to 1850.

The village of pre-tannery days comprised
C. A. Pinneo’s steam saw mill,
G. W. Tyler’s saw and shingle mills,
W. Deiter’s shingle mill,
the Oswayo Hotel,
general stores of S. Beebe, W. Wells and W. McDougall and
the grocery store of J. Haskins.
There were offices for three doctors and four attorneys:
W. B. Graves, W. Colegrove, H. Snath and W. M. Wilber.
Smith & Jones operated a wagon and blacksmith shop;
there were two boot and shoe shops, a cooper shop, an undertaker and two resident ministers.

Construction of the tannery began early in 1877 upon ten acres of land obtained from Thomas Crittenden. Sorenberger & Gray completed the tannery and started its operation but sold it to the P. H. Costello Company in 1879. The Costello Company built homes for the employees, which were later owned by the workers. Lapham & Company purchased the Costello holdings when Costello moved to North Wharton. The last owner was the Penn Tanning Company, which purchased the property in 1893. The tannery was destroyed by fire on June 20, 1903.

When the village was organized into a borough in March 1901, there were probably about 1,000 people living in the new municipality. The tannery was running to capacity and employed about 100 men. In 1899, the Pennsylvania Stave Company had built a plant below the tannery for the manufacture of barrel staves. A heading mill, employing between 70-75 men, began in 1901. More men were working in the woods getting out logs and bark for the industries.

The streets were, of course, unpaved and during periods of wet weather were nothing but knee-deep mud. However there were good board walks on each side and also two or three cross walks made of planks across Main Street allowing citizens to get from one side to the other without getting completely mired.

To the village of Oswayo belongs the credit for having the first graded school in the county. This was opened in 1866 and continued until 1876 when the building burned. Afterward the good citizens decided they preferred to have two one-teacher schools of all grades rather than require the children to walk the extra distance to a graded school. However a school was built in 1893 on the north end of School Street with four classrooms and a spacious hall. Local people were justly proud of this school and its teachers.

This interest in schools was a factor in the organization of the borough. As long as the village was part of the township, no more than two or three board members lived within the village with the remainder scattered all over the township. Under the borough all six members of the Board were residents of Oswayo where they had a common interest in the school.

They maintained a three-year high school until the mid 1920’s. After a fire the building was renovated and became a two-room school, which operated until 1947. A one-teacher school was kept until 1955 when all grades were bused to Shinglehouse as part of the Oswayo Valley School System.

The Seventh Day Baptists were the first to hold regular services in the area. Before 1834, a Mr. Avery preached the Baptist doctrine to the first settlers. The Baptists organized a building committee and had the frame of a church completed in 1877 when, for lack of funds, the building was abandoned. In 1859, the Methodist Church was built on Main Street and for over 40 years was the only church building in Oswayo. The United Brethren finally became strong enough to build a church on School Street in 1903 but the Catholic Church never materialized.

Tragedy struck the village on November 18, 1900, when fire destroyed the McGonigal House along with the hotel barns and Opera House. Four persons perished in the flames, which were credited to an over-pressure of gas.

The early 1900’s were twenty years away from such entertainment as radio and forty years from television. After supper there was little to do but sit at home and read or listen to talking machines.
The Oswayo Cornet Band met every Tuesday night for rehearsals and on Friday evenings gave a concert in the Payne & Estes Hall over the store for which they charged an admission of ten cents (or whatever you were able to pay) until they earned enough for uniforms.

On other evenings the young folks paired off and strolled the sidewalks or sat in porch swings until the girl’s mother called her in. Since workdays were ten hours for six days in the week, sparking time was short as workers began their daily strife at seven the next morning.

Among the old time residents of Oswayo were:
Mr. [A. B.] Payne (postmaster) and
A. B. Estes, who ran the largest general store;
W. W. Crittenden, local businessman who represented Potter County in the General Assembly;
Walter Wells Sr., leading merchant and postmaster;
John Lee, landlord of the Lee Hotel;
Harry Lord, lawyer, merchant and justice of the peace;
Samuel Beebe, pension attorney;
Ansel Smith, lay preacher;
Ernest Rice musician;
Ernest Mills, druggist; and
Arthur Wells, one of the later merchants, became the community’s unofficial banker and storekeeper.

Fred Blackman began printing a weekly newspaper in 1900, which he named “The Oswayo Valley Record.” The paper folded in March 1902 and the equipment was removed to Port Allegany to be used by the Argus.

The New York & Pennsylvania Railroad extended its lines to Oswayo in 1894 where it served the tannery, stave mill, the local businesses and farmers. It gave the residents a connection with the outside world as they ran four passenger trains each day. As business declined and the automobile began to usurp passenger traffic, business for the railroad fell off and the line was abandoned in June of 1936.

Oswayo probably reached its peak in population of 1000 or more during the later years of the 1890’s. Since it was then part of the township, the number of residents can only be estimated. It was not counted as a borough until 1910 and the census then showed only 382 residents. By this time the population had begun to decline rapidly as the total population for the borough and township was 700 less than the township population in 1900. The tannery had been destroyed by fire in 1903 and the stave plant, last industry, closed in 1916. By 1920 the census showed only 209 residents.

The town, which had once boasted of 20 business places on Main Street, was reduced to a village smaller than the one that existed previous to the Civil War. Some residents commute by automobile to work in other towns while others are still engaged in agriculture or logging. A State Fish Cultural Station, located above the village, now gives employment to a number of area residents.

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[S1120] Ancestry.com, Public Member Trees, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2006;), Harry Potter Family Tree Harry Potter.
Record for Mary Sardinia Wells revisited 20181218HAv Harry Potter Family Tree Harry Potter (26) facts
http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=150085847379&indiv=try

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