Bend Township

Hallstead and Great Bend Transfer Boat During Flood

Great Bend High School, Circa 1911

Churches:
Locust Hill Baptist Church located on Rt. T830
Island Plains Community Church located on Rt. 1010
State Line Assembly of God Church located on Rt. 11
Churches in Hallstead Borough
Hallstead First Presbyterian Church located at 107 Pine St.
First Baptist Church located at 108 Pine St.
United Methodist Church located on Church St.

*STOCKER'S HISTORY (1887)

The Presbyterian Church, formerly the Congregational Church, organized May 7, 1789. In March of 1831 the church voted to become Presbyterian. On January 13, 1831 the meetinghouse was dedicated. In 1851 it was enlarged.

Great Bend Baptist Church in Hallstead. Baptist Preaching was as early as 1807. In 1826 a new body of Baptists united with the Bridgewater Association. Meetings were held in homes until the meetinghouse was built and dedicated on Aug. 22, 1832. Membership declined after 1848 and in 1860 the church was "dropped" from the Associational list.

Zion Baptist Church of Great Bend, located in Hallstead, was organized in April of 1859.Most members joined the reorganized Great Bend Baptist Church.
Churches in Great Bend Borough
St. Lawrence Catholic Church located on Washington St.
United Methodist Church located at 509 Main St.
Gospel Fellowship Church (Christian & Missionary Alliance) located
Grace Episcopal Church (Burned Feb. 2, 1954)
State Line Evangelical Wesleyan Church located on Rt. 11

*STOCKER'S HISTORY (1887)

The Methodist Congregation and Methodist Episcopal Church was very small and meetings were held in the Baptist Church until 1854 when a small church was erected. It was rebuilt, burned in 1870 and another was erected.

Grace Episcopal Church was organized in 1852. In 1859 a charter was granted and soon after the church edifice was erected.

St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church was formed about 1847 and assembled in private homes. A building was secured for worship until 1866, when the present church was commenced and completed in 1867.
Cemeteries:
Dayton Cemetery, behind Hallstead Presbyterian Church, Hallstead Borough
Great Bend Episcopal Church, Great Bend
Hallstead Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Hallstead Borough
Highland Cemetery, T849 near New Milford Twp. border
Locust Hill, 171E to 1025 to T755; left on T755, located between T755 &828, not visible from road.
Newman Cemetery, off Rt. 171
Rose Hill Cemetery - Rt. 11N, turn L on Franklin Ave. 2 blocks to Pine, turn left and under underpass, 2nd St. is Charles Ave on R. Go past 2 houses and turn right, Hallstead Borough
St. Lawrence Cemetery, Rt. 11 N to left on Randolph Rd.; Randolph to T751
Taylor Family Cemetery, on Rt. 171 and after T824, private property
Trowbridge Cemetery, old Rt. 11 between New Milford and Hallstead
Woodlawn Cemetery, Rt. 11 N to left on Randolph Rd; Randolph to T751

Building and Geographic Information According to the 1872 Beers' Atlas of Susquehanna County. To obtain copies of maps e-mail us for details.
B. SHOPS - Dist. #6
CREEKS/BROOKS - Mitchel's Creek - Dist. #4; Salt Lick Creek - Dist. #2 & Dist. #3; Wiley Creek - Dist. #2 & Dist. #8
SAW MILLS (S.M. or S. MILL) - (2) Dist. #1 (Blossom Bros. & B. Spearbeck); Dist. #2; (2) Dist. #3 (C. McKinney & G. Johnston); (2) Dist. #4 (O.E. Chamberin and W. Howearth); (2) Dist. #5; Dist. #6; (2) Dist. #7 (includes one for H. Gunn); Dist. #9 (W. Hawkins)
STEAM SAW MILLS - Dist. #4, Dist. #8 (Steam Mill)
SCHOOLS - Dist. #1; Dist. #3; Dist. #4; Dist. #5; Dist. #6; Dist. #7; Dist. #8; Dist. #9
STORES - Dist. #6

Others:

Brickyard, Dist. #1 (W. Patin)
Egypt, Dist. #4
Fish Pro., Dist. #8
Gate, Dist. #1
Mineral Paint, Dist. #5
Railroads - D. L. & W. - Dist. #1, Dist. #2 (Depot); Dist. #3; Erie Railroad - Dist. #1, Dist. #2, Dist. #4; Dist. #5; Dist. #6; Dist. #7
Red Rock, Dist. #6
Susquehanna River - Dist. #1, Dist. #2, Dist. #4; Dist. #5; Dist. #6; Dist. #7 Tannery, Dist. #6
Taylortown; Dist. #5
Woolen Factory, Dist. #3 (E. Lewis)

Place Names, Old and New
Great Bend Township was formed during the March Session (of the Court of Quarter Sessions) in 1791 under the name of "Willingborough". It was renamed "Great Bend" on 28 Nov 1814. For further information, see also Township Incorporations.

Egypt, a highland region across the Susquehanna River from Red Rock, was originally covered with pine trees. Wright and Samuel Chamberlain operated mills there. The land has been described as "stony and sterile", worthless for farming and home to rattlesnakes.

Great Bend, post office; former railroad station, telegraph station, and express office. Incorporated as a borough 19 Nov 1861. Pop. 836 in 1900. "Lodersville" was the initial name of the Erie Railroad depot and the post office in Great Bend.

Hallstead, post office; former telegraph station and express office. Incorporated as a borough 28 Nov, 1874, under the name of "Great Bend Village"; renamed "Hallstead" in 1887, in honor of the president of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. Pop. 1,404 in 1900. The village grew up along the river as a turnpike town from 1801. The main street was the Great Bend and Cochecton Turnpike. The DL&W Railroad, with its depot, dozen or more tracks, and large roundhouse, brought significant growth to the town.

Hickory Grove, hamlet, post office from 22 Nov 1872 to15 Jan 1914 (mail routed through Susquehanna Depot P.O.); former railroad station.

Locust Hill, neighborhood in the northeast corner. Many of the early settlers, arriving circa 1812, were from Litchfield Co., CT. The first settler was Jonas Bush, Jr.

Painted Rocks. About 2 miles upriver of Great Bend Village are some sheer cliffs. Early settlers claim there was the painted figure of an Indian Chief on the cliffs. After the image faded, the red paint in the figure remained. Later settlers, not knowing of the Indian image, began calling the area "Red Rock." Today, Red Rock is the name of a crossroad community in that area.

Taylortown, area settled by and named after William Taylor, who arrived circa 1815, erected saw mills, and was a lumberman and farmer. Also called "Hickory Grove," which was the name of the Erie Railroad station, post office, and school located there. The schoolhouse was located on a small hill covered with hickory trees -- an unusual feature in this area. The post office was opened on 22 Nov 1872 and closed 1 Dec 1905. Pop. 105 in 1900

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