Published Sunday, July 1, 2001
LACKAWANNOCK TOWNSHIP
Friendly Indians were helpful in establishing communityBy Genevieve Bartholomew and Phillip Bartholomew
on behalf of the Mercer County Historical Society
The derivation of Lackawannock is a combination of "Lac'' -- the French for lake -- and Wannock -- the name of an Indian chief who lived in a wigwam on a nearby lake.
The original township was laid out in 1805; but it was not until 1849 that the Little Neshannock Creek became the eastern boundary. Townships bordering it were: North -- Jefferson, South -- Wilmington and West -- Hickory (what is now Hermitage) and Shenango.
The area of the township is 21.4 square miles. The township currently has 27.37 miles of improved roads. The geographical center of the township is the village of Greenfield. Located in a clearing, Greenfield was established in 1820 by Archelaus Wilkins. He built the first cabin in that area.
Two families, Young and Cozad, were the first permanent settlers, both coming from Washington County in 1798. The Youngs settled near the northwest area of the township on land that is now referred to as Frogtown. The Cozads chose the northeast part of the township. These two families became working and sharing partners.
Local tradition reports that a man had previously cleared a patch of land before Cozad and had planted a few peach seeds. They sprouted, grew and bore the first peaches about 1801.
The Youngs were quite well prepared for establishing their new home. They came with domestic animals and tools necessary to conquer the wilderness. (Present descendants in Mercer County are Paul Trapasso and Helen Trapasso Harrison.)
The Cozads faced poverty and in time left. This land was taken over by the Yarian family. Much of this area is now owned by the Bartholomew families.
For the most part, Indians residing in this area were very friendly and helpful. One assisted Nathaniel Cozad in building a house. Those of the Mohawk tribe were the most friendly and probably were held in honor among settlers. The Indians often stopped at the settlers' homes for food and would return with venison as a token of their appreciation.
As more settlers began to arrive, the Indians began moving out.
Just a few miles south of Greenfield, the David Hayes family held a log-rolling for a cabin. He was given a substantial amount of acreage. Today, the four large Hayes farms are owned by Amish farmers. Near the Hayes were the William Bells.
The first birth on Jan. 8, 1800, was to the James Young family, a son, Jonathan. Later in 1800, a son, Nathaniel Cozad Jr., was born. The first wedding was that of Betty Cozad and John Ritchie (date unknown).
Settlers continued to move into the township. There was no transportation, except horses. Neither was there any type of communication except word of mouth.
A few of the names in the 19th century were:
The first recorded election was in 1806, with Thomas Gordon becoming supervisor and constable, and William Hunter, supervisor of the poor.
In the 19th century the township residents continued to clear their land and cultivate. Each farmer had one or more horses and a few cows. Chickens were added for an egg supply in the homes.
Each week the family took milk, butter and eggs to the village stores to exchange them for sugar, flour and other necessities. They also picked up the weekly mail. (In 1904, rural free delivery became a reality.)
Lackawannock Township gradually became a first-rate farming area. Corn, wheat and oats were the crops, plus produce from the gardens for consumption and canning for the winter months.
Fruit orchards were established by John Hughes and his father about 1865 and Bartholomew Orchards operated from 1920-1980. The Creighton Orchard was located on the area that became known as Orchard Road.
By the arrival of the 20th century the township was well organized. Dirt roads were being covered with "Red Dog'' during the cold winter months, hauled by teams of horses. Later, gravel was used and now all roads are black top. There are now no unimproved roads in the township.