A Brief History of Middle Smithfield Township

All through the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, the area now known as Middle Smithfield was Native American frontier and the site of the majority of attacks on white settlements in Eastern Pennsylvania.  Middle Smithfield Township was established in the year 1794 having been a part of Smithfield or Upper Smithfield Township as it was called, while being in Northampton County.  Several county divisions later, Middle Smithfield became part of Pike County, named for Zebulon Montgomery Pike, discoverer of Pike's Peak.  In 1814, Pike County included the Townships of Middle Smithfield, Delaware, Upper Smithfield, Lackawaxen and Palmyra. By the Act of April 1, 1836, a portion of Pike County was cut off to form part of Monroe County, named for President James Monroe.  Since that date forward,  Middle Smithfield Township has been located in Monroe County.

A Pennsylvania Historical and  Museum Commission marker for Fort Hyndshaw can be found along Route 209 south west of Bushkill.  The marker reads “FORT HYNDSHAW  Built in 1756 by order of the Providence of Pennsylvania.  Northernmost of a line of defenses erected during the French and Indian War.”  

                                               

 One of the earliest families in the Bushkill area was that of Manuel Gunsaules, a Spaniard with a wife and ten children.  They occupied lands on both sides of the Bushkill Creek.  One of his daughters, Elizabeth, was captured by Native Americans at the age of seven years while she and her father were hunting for horses on the Delaware flats near the Bushkill Church.  The attackers started in pursuit of them and Mr. Gunsaules escaped by jumping into a washout, where he remained concealed, but little Elizabeth ran in a different direction and was overtaken. That night in camp, they talked of killing her, but an older man among them objected saying that she was a smart girl and he would take care of her.  She accompanied them to Canada where she married a Chief, bore two children and lived for thirty-two years.   After the death of her husband, “Lizzie” was located by her birth family and persuaded to return to Pennsylvania. 

Road through Marshalls Creek in Smithfield Township

A major Native American path leading from the Philadelphia area to Kingston, New York, almost  identically followed the route that U.S. Route 209 takes through Middle Smithfield.  This provided a means of travel and communication between the lower Delaware River to the south and the Hudson River to the North.  It was called the Minsi Path and went through Minisink (“at the place where stones are gathered together”), the principle Munsee village.  Daniel Brodhead and Nicholas Depui used this trail to take their farm products  to Esopus on the Hudson River.  Today Route 209 is a major thoroughfare in our township. 

Ferry service was often used to cross the Delaware River between Pahaquarry Township, NJ and Middle Smithfield Township.  The Dimmick/Shoemaker Ferry ran from the early 1800's until about 1940 and used an underwater cable in low water and an overhead cable in high water.  The DeWitt Ferry was operated by three generations of the DeWitt family.  The Zimmerman Ferry was used by many summer guests on their way to summer camps in Middle Smithfield Township.  This ferry service ended in 1927 when the Pennsylvania Power and Light purchased it along with the Zimmerman farm.  The Decker/Grube Ferry was the oldest public ferry on this section of the Delaware River, traveling between Walpack Township, NJ and Middle Smithfield.  Philip Rosencrans purchased the ferry and in 1898 moved it about 3/4 mile upstream to Bushkill, PA.  As Rosencrans Ferry, the service lasted until 1945 when a plane accidentally cut the cable.

 

Dimmick's Ferry around 1923 

 

                        Decker Ferry

Farmers in the 19th century widely adopted the habit of applying lime to their fields to "sweeten" the soil; actually, it was neutralizing the acidity and increasing fertility.  The industry grew and lime-kilns sprung up across the countryside.  Farmers in this region obtained lime by burning limestone, or by purchasing the lime from a "lime burner" who operated a commercial kiln.  Middle Smithfield Township is the site of the John Turn Farm and its well-preserved lime kiln.  The kiln is located in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area on River Road  near the parking area for the John Turn Trailhead of McDade Trail.   Traveling south on River Road, the parking area is 1.1 miles south of the park headquarters, on the left (east) side of River Road.   At the parking area there is also an outdoor (wayside) exhibit explaining the history of the land that was once the John Turn Farm.  In late fall and winter you can see the kiln easily, facing you at the edge of the woods across on the west side of the road. (Watch for traffic!)  From spring until the leaves fall, it is more difficult to pick out. You can walk up the access road to the top of the kiln.  

The Bushkill Creek has been a popular fishing water  from the earliest of times.  Native Americans would camp at the base of Resica Falls in the spring to net shad and trout.  Fishing and other outdoor activities are still enjoyed in our township's creeks and parks.

Resica Falls at The Resica Falls Scout Reservation

The first grist mill in the township was built by Rudolphus Schoonover and was used to grind grains into flour.  In 1824, Benjamin Schoonover, a blacksmith, constructed the first foundry between the Lehigh River and Newburgh on the Hudson River.  He made plows and sold them for $8 to $10.  John M. Heller operated a wagon shop in Bushkill and opened the first Bushkill tavern.  Adam Overpeck built the first tannery in the township.  Over the years new businesses in our township included tourist homes, resorts, golf courses, retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters, a very popular flea market and an Indian Museum.

DeWitt's Tourist Home along Route 209

 

The first school located in Middle Smithfield was on top of Hogback Hill, with Jack Robinson as its teacher.  Today two elementary schools, which are in the East Stroudsburg Area School District are located in our township: Resica Elementary School on Gravel Ridge Road and Middle Smithfield Elementary School on Route 209.

Safety has always been a priority in our township.  In 1951, Mr. Ernest Booth organized a Civilian Defense team consisting of wardens, ambulance corps, and auxiliary police.  Individuals and resorts furnished vehicles to be used as ambulances.  This photo submitted in 1954 is from a drill held in East Stroudsburg and shows a portion of the ambulance crew.

1954 Civilian Defense Team

In the summer of 1955, Middle Smithfield suffered its first major disaster-the flooding of the Bushkill Creek.  Two days of heavy rains from Hurricanes Connie and Diane caused flooding which washed out roads and swept away homes.  At that time, damage in our township was estimated at nearly $400,000.  74 people in Monroe County died as a result of the flooding.

Big Bushkill Creek 2008

Disaster struck again on June 26, 1964.  At 4:08 am firemen were awakened to respond to a tractor-trailer fire involving a truck parked along Route 209.  The truck was not placarded to warn the fireman of the dynamite it carried inside.  The truck exploded leaving a deep crater and killing six, including three Marshalls Creek firemen.  Dozens of snakes and animals also escaped from the Pocono Snake and Animal Farm located on the site.  This explosion started a chain of events that led to the creation of the Department of Transportation (DOT) Emergency Response Guidebook.  This book has changed the way emergency personnel respond to incidents involving hazardous material.

Explosion Crater 1964

 

In 1968, John Leap, former resident and owner of Lakeside Peat and Hummus Company made a discovery in his peat bog that he surely never expected.  While mining peat, his drag bucket became snagged on what he thought was a stump.  Upon a closer examination, he and fellow worker Paul Strausser found the object to be bone and not wood as they expected.  It was a very large animal's skull.  Fortunately for all, Mr. Leap quickly contacted a museum in Harrisburg who in turn sent out staff to see just what was found.  After two weeks of retrieval, Mr. Leap, Mr. Strausser and a team from the museum had found the remains of an Ice Age Mammal-a Mastodon!  The remains had been preserved in the darkness beneath the surface of the peat bog for about 12,000 years.  Once the bones were cleaned and transported, it took 18 months to reconstruct the adult Mastodon's skeleton.  90% of the skeleton had been found-to date the most complete Mastodon found in all of Pennsylvania.  The Marshalls Creek Mastodon Skeleton is now on display at the William Penn Museum in Harrisburg.  Thank you Mr. Leap and Mr. Strausser.

                                                                          Mastodon Skeleton

Being located on the western bank of the Delaware River, Middle Smithfield Township has long been identified with the rugged, natural beauty of the Poconos. Residents and visitors alike have been drawn to the area for decades, but development in the region did not begin to spike until the 1970s when population swelled and vacation/second homes became increasingly popular.  

 

 

“Werry's Sunnybrook” Resort now known as Lake of the Pines  

More recently, this area has transitioned into a bedroom community, accommodating more and more year round residents attracted by the local scenery, relatively affordable cost of living, and easy access to strong economies in New York and New Jersey. As of July 2006 our population was estimated at 14,551 and continues to grow with diverse and rich ethnic and cultural heritage.

Feel free to visit the Schoonover Municipal Center on Municipal Drive find out more about our township. The Center is open Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm.

Many thanks to the citizens of Middle Smithfield Township for contributing photographs and memorabilia at our annual Memory Maker luncheons. Please watch the Event listings for this year's date. Thank you also to long time resident and advocate Nancy Michael Shukaitis and her book Lasting Legacies of the Lower Minisink (© 2007 ISBN 978-1-57027-193-9).

This History web page is a work in progress, to contribute information or photographs, please email Kate at mstwpk@ptd.net.  Thank you.

Links:

Lasting Legacies of the Lower Minisink  www.lastinglegacies.info

Monroe County Historical Society  www.mcha-pa.org

Pike County Historical Society      www.pikehistory.org

Pocono Mountains Chamber of Commerce  www.poconochamber.net

Pocono Mountains Vacation Bureau  www.800poconos.com

Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm  www.quietvalley.org

The Nationals Park Service www.nps.gov/dewa