Having the foresight to record the thoughts and memories of the early settlers in Pennsylvania provides readers and historians with a front-row seat on life in the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

In 1875, a newspaper reporter from Clinton County sat down with ninety-year-old James Caldwell, then one of the oldest settlers residing along the West Branch Valley. Caldwell had lived in that section of the state for seventy consecutive years, including fifty years at his home in Chapman Township.

James Caldwell was born in Hanover, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on March 19, 1786. His father, named James Caldwell, was also born in the same county, at a place called the Slate Quarry, some fifteen miles from Lancaster.

The son provided a brief sketch of his father's life, describing the trials and hardships of pioneer life. "My father enlisted in the American army immediately upon the breaking out of the Revolutionary War and remained in active service until the struggle ended and peace was proclaimed to the people throughout the land.”

After the war, (young Caldwell’s father) purchased a tract of land in the neighborhood of Pittsburgh, where he went for the purpose of settling a home for his family by engaging in agricultural pursuits. But in those days, the Indians were strong in numbers and quite troublesome to the progress of the white settler. A sudden attack, which was usually accompanied by the torch and murderous tomahawk, was one of the things always to be dreaded by the white settler at the breaking out of the least disturbance between the different tribes.

Shortly after his settlement there, indications of an outbreak among the Indians became so plainly perceptible to the eyes of his wife and neighbors that he was prevailed upon to abandon the settlement, which he did immediately by removing to Warrior's Run, in Northumberland County, near where the flourishing little borough of Watsontown is built. He purchased a tract of land at this place from a man named Samuel Scott, but shortly after the purchase was made Mr. Scott died by accidental drowning, when the wife of the deceased commenced a suit against Mr. Caldwell for the recovery of the said land, on the ground that the farm was given to her by her father as part of a legacy and sold by her husband without her consent. Caldwell was nearly ruined financially when he had to give up the land in Northumberland County.

He then moved to Youngwomanstown, Lycoming (now Clinton) county, where he purchased a tract of land. But again, a question over the title to the land forced the vacating of the property. He then (in 1807) moved up to the mouth of Kettle Creek (now Westport), where he purchased a tract of land containing some three hundred acres. Here, he built a dwelling house, sawmill, and grist mill, cleared the land, and devoted his time to the welfare of his family, which consisted of four sons and six daughters. The senior Caldwell died before 1819.

The first minister of the Gospel who found his way to these parts was Daniel Barber in the year 1829. He was Presbyterian in faith, and, remarked Mr. Caldwell, “A gentleman of fine ability and a great religious worker. He came from a place called Washington(ville), near Milton, and while with us organized churches at Youngwomanstown, First Fork of the Sinnemahoning, and Sterling Run.”

The first church was established at Youngwomanstown, at which the settlers for ten miles around assembled. A Sabbath School was also organized here by Mr. Barber, which remained in a flourishing condition for years afterwards.

(It should be noted that Reverend Daniel Barber’s father moved from New Jersey to Montour County. Daniel was born in 1800. He served as a chaplain briefly in the Civil War in Pennsylvania’s 53^rd Infantry unit. He mustered in on November 7^th, 1861, and resigned on July 7^th, 1862. Reverend Barber died two years later and is buried in the Derry Presbyterian Church Cemetery, in White Hall, Montour County.)

Returning to James Caldwell’s narrative: The next instructor in religion was Mr. Allen, from Jersey Shore. He was not regularly ordained, but in the long absence of a regular preacher at the First Fork church, this man volunteered to preach to the people if they would attend and appointed a Sunday several weeks off for the purpose. Curiosity to hear him brought out many settlers for miles around. "Shortly after the preaching was commenced," said Mr. Caldwell, "John Jordan's boys started up a deer with their dogs, that bounded past the meeting house, within sight of the people, and ran up the creek. The people all left their places and their pastor to witness the chase, which was of an exciting nature.

The preacher was much perplexed at the conduct of his hearers and exclaimed, solemnly: "All in vain! "All in vain !" Meaning, of course, that his flock cared more for the sport of killing a deer than they did for listening to the words of the Bible; but one of the settlers, who had grown excited over the chase, failed to comprehend the meaning behind his pastor's words, and in the way of a reply, quickly retorted, "Vell, 1 does not know, but I tinks they'll catch bim yet.' "It is needless to add," continued Mr. Caldwell, "that everybody saw the joke in the German settler's reply and roared with laughter. Mr. Jordan felt very sad over the fact that his boys had violated his injunction, not to hunt on that day, and promised the preacher that he would "thrash their backs effectually, when he got them home. The boys, however, got the deer and escaped their threatened punishment.

The first organized school he can remember was started about two miles above the mouth of the Sinnemahoning by a man named James Hill. This was when his father lived at Kettle Creek. The pupils generally took their provisions and bedclothing with them and remained at the schoolhouse from the beginning to the end of the term. They went eight and ten miles to school, which necessitated the plan stated to obtain the few educational advantages offered them in those days.

The only Indians Caldwell ever saw were those who were traveling through the country, begging for food. An Indian woman came to his house one day and asked for provisions. He gave her all she could carry, and she appeared very grateful for the kind treatment.

Turning his attention to the early days of his life on Kettle Creek, Caldwell continued: "At the time of our settlement at the mouth of Kettle Creek, I was about 21 years old. The country was nearly one dense wilderness, save a few small farms ten and fifteen miles apart, occupied by settlers.”

During his residence on Kettle Creek, he said he often spent his spare time hunting and fishing. But he continued, it would appear almost incredible to the present population of this valley (1875) to tell of the abundance of deer and other game that inhabited these parts when he first settled here. The first time that he ever shouldered a gun at Kettle Creek, for the purpose of killing deer, he went to one of the settlers and asked him to accompany him in a hunt. The neighbor told him he could not go with him, but that he should walk up the creek about half a mile, where he would find all the game he wanted to kill.

On another occasion, Caldwell discovered a panther had been stealing food from his traps, meant for wolves and other “varmints.” Caldwell returned to his home for his dogs and neighbors armed with guns. After a battle between the dogs and the panther, Caldwell was handed a neighbor’s gun and dispatched the animal. The “monster” measured 11 feet 4 inches from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail.

At Kettle Creek, Caldwell erected a fish basket at the foot of the tail race of the mill, and during the fall of the year, it would fill up nearly every night to its full capacity.

The year Mr. Caldwell's parents lived at Youngwomanstown, he says that bears were so plentiful in that section that it required no skill to kill them. He and his older brother, William, killed eight or nine during the winter. Their dogs treed numerous others, which they paid no attention to. Deer were also plentiful. It was not an uncommon occurrence for him and his brother to kill three or four deer in half a day.

Caldwell’s recollections are a valuable resource in describing early life in the West Branch and Susquehanna Valleys. He died in 1878 and is buried in the North Bend Cemetery in Clinton County next to his wife, Sarah Ann Stout Caldwell.