Jotham Pickering

�����Jotham Pickering was born circa 1761 in Mendon, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.¹ He was the son of Jonathan Pickering and Elizabeth Hunt. He married Alice Pickering, daughter of Edward Pickering and Abigail Chase, on November 12, 1781 in Mendon, Essex, Massachusetts, USA.¹ He died circa 1809 in Gibson Hill, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, USA.¹
�����A Jotham Pickering of Mendon appears in list of men mustered by Thomas Newhall, Muster master of Worcester Co. to serve in the Continental Army for the term of 9 months; said Pickering appears among men belonging to Capt Nelson's co. and other companies in Col. Wood's regt; engaged for town of Mendon; also, descriptive list of men raised in Worcester Co to serve in the Continental Army for the term of nine months from the time of their arrival in Fishkill, agreeable to resolve of April 20, 1778, returned as received by Andrew Haskell, at Leicester, June 2, 1778; Capt Peter Penniman's co, Col EzraWood's regt; age 17 years statue, 6 ft; complexion dark; hair, dark brown; eyes, dark; residence Mendon; engaged for the town of Mendon; arrived at Fishkill June 7, 1778; also, list of men returned as recieved of Jonathan Warner, Commissioner, by Col R Putnam, July 20, 1778; also, a list of men returned as mustered by Henry Rutgers, Deputy Muster Master, dated Fishkill, Aug 1, 1778. Also the Centennial History of Susquehanna County - Stocker 1887 p 219 Listing of those going to (participating in) the American Revolution includes one Jotham Pickering.^2,3 Also appears in a list of men from Mendon, Massachusetts in Rhode Island service, under Capt. Samuel Hamant.⁴

"Jotham Pickering and his brother Phineas, from Massachusetts originally, came to what is now Gibson, in 1798 from a farm now owned by Mr. Wellman in New Milford, to which they had come in 1793. Corbet, son of Jotham, stated in an article published in the 'Montrose Republican' that his father was 'the second inhabitant of Gibson', but as he also stated positively, that he was five years on the place where he began in 1793, his memory failed him in regard to the settlement of Gibson, as proved by the diary of Deacon Chamberlin. The farm of JP was less than half a mile east of Kennedy Hill, to which he came with the purpose of uniting his family of children with those of Capt Potter, to establish a school. The advantages they were able to command must have been limited as it is asserted the first teacher in Gibson did not know how to write. Mr. C Pickering says - At that time Gibson was indeed a wilderness, and without a figure might have been styled a howling wilderness, because upon every hand, at all times of day or night, could be heard the melancholy howl of the wolf and very often the piercing screech of the panther. Truly those were the times that tried men's nerves, if not their souls. At this time, moreover, there were no mills nearer than Wilkes-Barre and it was some years before we had the advantage of any other process of grinding than that of a hard wood stump, dug out in the form of a mortar, while the pestle, with which we pounded our corn, somewhat resembled a modern handspike. But we could not afford so tedious a process in manufacturing our rye; so we put on the big kettle, and boiled a quantity of what is, in these days of improvement, called whiskey seeds; and really we found rye and milk much more palatable than rye and kerosene. The first mill that I can remember was ten miles distant, nearly every step of the way in woods; and the boy that had sufficient nerve and muscle, had the exalted privilege of mounting a bag of corn, which had first been mounted on horseback, and taking up his tedious pilgrimage to the gristmill."⁵

“[Regarding the Pickering Family]… Few if any families in Susquehanna County are more truly representative of the early pioneer years than the Pickering’s. In 1795, two brothers, Jotham and Phineas Pickering, left their homes in Mendon, Mass., and settled in the wilderness in what is now New Milford township. In 1796 they removed to what is now Gibson Township. Jotham Pickering and his wife, Elsie, and family, located in the wilderness on a 100-acre tract now known as the Ira Washburn farm, between Smiley and Kennedy Hill, and Phineas settled in Gelatt Hollow. Jotham changed his location to be near the family of Capt Potter, the only other settler in the locality at the time, who had located near Kennedy Hill - the first portion of the township to be occupied, in order that by uniting the two families, school advantages for the children might be obtained. There were no mills nearer than Wilkes-Barre. Wolves at night filled the surrounding forests with echoing howls, and the piercing shrieks of the prowling panther were often heard. Jotham had served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. By trade he was a carpenter. After his migration to Gibson township, he remained there until his death, which occurred in 1809, when he was about fifty years of age, and he was buried in a private cemetery in Gibson township. He had five sons and four daughters, as follows: Henry , who migrated to New Hope, Brown Co OH; John, a farmer and sawmill owner of Nicholson township; Preserved, who is mentioned below; Corbett, born in 1797, who married Tamar Denny, and died in Gibson township, in 1876; Leah, wife of William Tripp, of Gibson; Mrs. Aden Cramer of Clifford township; Nabby Ann, wife of Henry Miller of Gibson; and Polly, wife of James Waterman of Mt Pleasant, Wayne Co.⁶ "

From notes found in a GEDCOM: Jotham and Alice were first cousins. There isn't any Jotham Pickering listed as residing in Mendon, in 1790 to 1850 Census. However; Jotham is mentioned in the Annals of Mendon and he and Jonathan are living on the same land. There was a Jonathan, who lived in the 6th district near the School House that was located at the foot of the now Pickering Rd. Hill, called South Mendon, at that time.^1,7 Jotham & Phineas Pickering, brothers, settled in New Milford from Massachusetts in 1793. Five years later, in 1798, they settled in Gibson, the latter at Gelatt Hollow. He had sons - Augustus, Joseph and John B. The former, Jotham, a soldier in the Revolutionary War, resided on Gibson Hill and died at about fifty years of age. His children were Henry, went to Ohio; John, resided in Gibson for many years, removed to Nicholson, where he built a saw mill, and resided until his death; Preserved, resided adjoining the homestead in Gibson, had a son William, whose son Alden S. is the present proprietor of the hotel at South Gibson; Corbet (1796-1876) father of John D; Potter, resided in Gibson and died in Glennwood; Leah, wife of WilliamTripp, of Gibson; Mrs Aden Cramer, of Clifford; Nabby Ann, A Mrs. Miller of Gibson; and Polly, wife of James Waterman, of Mt. Pleasant, Wayne county.⁸