THE STREBY HISTORY


Bear Hunting Party About 1910
Left to right: Ed Rightmire, Harry Casselberry, George Probst, John Reibson, Bill Dunlap, John Hubbard, and Charles Reibson.
Best guess is the photo was taken some time between 1905 and 1913.
John Reibson died before 1913 and Charles Reibson was born in 1885, but looks like a young man in this photo.
Contributed by Gail Oleson, a Reibson descendant.


Bear Foot Prints 2010
Taken in November 2010 at the Brotzman Farm, Laceyville, PA
Contributed by Carol Brotzman

Between 1903 and 1905, George Streby wrote his comprehensive history of Sullivan County and its towns and people. Much of his information was obtained directly from the original settlers of the area or their children. In 1921, his daughter, Clara A. (Streby) Ring reissued and updated the history. The information collected and reported here, along with the parallel history written by Thomas Ingman, remains the primary secondary source to this day for information about life in the County from the early 1800's through the turn of the twentieth century. Read along with us as we journey back to the days of primeval hemlock and maple forest, frenzied mining and lumbering, the birth and growth of the railroad, and the coming of the Irish, German and Eastern European farmers to a new land of opportunity. I have taken the liberty of correcting known errors in spelling, and grammatical errors and typos, and have expanded some headings for clarification.

I have also included here a pointed commentary by Pj Little, one of our foremost historians of early Sullivan County History. While appreciative of Streby's effort to capture a disappearing tradition, Pj reminds us that the Streby materials have errors and that any history represents to some extent "one man's" view of the past.

Finally, we are delighted to provide this link to the Strieby Genealogy and History. Thanks to the creative efforts of Brian Streby, this source offers a well-designed and thorough history of the Strieby/Streby/Strevy etc. families from their origins in Germany through the arrival of Hans Michael Strieby (born in 1726 in the Palatinate region of what is now Germany) in Philadelphia in 1743, and thereafter into sundry parts of Pennsylvania and Ohio. You can trace specific individuals in this lineage by using the comprehensive Index on this source page. Brian is a descendant of Leonard Strieby/Streby/Streevy, one of the first settlers of Overton along the Bradford and Sullivan County line. The Streby's were also part of the Forks township history. His grandfather, Homer Lloyd Streby, Jr. (descended from Homer Lloyd, Lloyd, Thomas, Isaac, Leonard), lived on a farm located in Forks township midway between Campbellville and Overton. This farm was first owned by Lloyd Streby born in 1857. Brian's father Donald was a son of Homer Lloyd, Jr. The famous historian of Sullivan County was George Streby, born in 1855 in Forks and died in 1921 in Dushore. He was an older brother to Lloyd Streby (1857-1932), the great-great-grandfather of our contributor, Brian Streby.

In the Fall of 2017, Brian also contributed a photo album which had been in the possession of his grandparents, Homer Lloyd Streby, Jr. and Beatrice (Bump) Streby. Here is that album, inlcuding both original photos and linked PDFs with comments from Brian as to identities. We are most grateful to him for this material. The original will be donated to the Sullivan County Historical Society in Laporte, PA.:

The Streby Photo Album

Here are obituaries for:
Homer Lloyd Streby, Jr.: Obituary
Beatrice (Bump) Streby: Obituary

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Turning back to our main story--

Here is the obituary for George Streby as it was published in 1921, then we present a picture of Lloyd and Homer Lloyd, Sr. Streby taken at the Lloyd Streby homestead at an unknown date.

The Sullivan Review
Dushore, PA
November 23, 1921

George Streby, editor of the Gazette and Herald, died Saturday night in the Packer hospital at Sayre after an illness of two weeks. Streby contracted a severe cold, which affected his kidneys, and on Saturday, November 12, he was taken to the hospital for treatment. One week later pneumonia developed which caused his death.
Mr. Streby was born in Forks Township, January 7, 1855. In 1881 he married Mary J. Woodley, who with two daughters, Mrs. Clara Ring of Waverly and Mrs. Martha Weisbrod of Cherry and one son, George W. at home survive.
Shortly after his marriage Mr. Streby engaged in farming and school teaching in Elkland township where he remained until 1887, when he moved to Dushore and established the Sullivan Gazette which he conducted to voice the principles of the Democratic party in the county. In 1904 he purchased the Sullivan Herald of John G. Scouton, combining the two papers into the Gazette and Herald.
Mr. Streby always took an active interest in the welfare of his home town; was a zealous worker in the Reformed church, of which he was a member, and was a kind neighbor and friend.
Besides his immediate family Mr. Streby is survived by one sister, Mrs. H.L. Molyneux of Millview and three brothers Lloyd and Clinton of Forks Township and Francis of Washington.
The funeral services were held on Wednesday morning in the Reformed church of Dushore and interment made in the family plot in Overton. The beautiful floral offerings attested the esteem in which he was held.
The sermon was delivered by A.F. Dreisbach, Ph.D. and the pallbearers were R.J. Thomson, R.H. Hoag, Lloyd McCarty, J. David Utz, Wendell Sick and John D. Lane.

Homer Lloyd Streby, Sr. and Lloyd Streby
Son and Father
The photo date is unknown but was taken at
the Lloyd Streby Homestead between Overton and Campbellville .
Contributed by Brian Streby, their descendant
Courtesy of Homer Lloyd Streby, Jr.

Editor's Note: More About Bear Hunting--since we feature two pictures of bear hunting parties on this page, it may interest the reader to read about an encounter with a bear reported in a letter to the Sullivan Review in 1888. We thank Carol Brotzman for picking out this item from the Scrapbooks of Lou Mericle, which she began conserving in 2006:

Sullivan Review
Dushore, PA
August 9, 1888

Editor:

In your article of 19th inst., you reprint an article from the Tunkhannock Democrat in regard to bear on "Dutch Mountain". I hope that hereafter they will not speak so disrespectable of our beautiful mountain, which is called Bella Sylva, which the Democrat should have known ere this. But to return to the bear. On Saturday evening last, after S. S. Rosengrant had retired to his rocking chair, at dusk after his day's labors, he and his wife suddenly heard a strange noise in his field where they keep their sheep and upon going on the porch to see what the disturbance was about, they found that their sheep were being driven about at a furious rate. They also have some calves in the same field, and suddenly the largest of them appeared in sight followed by a dark object, which afterwards proved to be a bear. Mr. R. seized his Martin repeating rifle, and ran in his stocking feet a distance of 10 or 12 rods from the house; there, seeing some dark object, he hesitated. Upon noticing Mr. R., the object looked up and continued its work. Mr. R. then fired and the dark object rolled off a sheep that he had been munching. Mr. R. had shot the bear through the shoulders, but to make sure of his game he put a ball through its head. Mrs. R. brought the butcher knife from the house to cut its throat. Not able to handle the bear alone, Mr. R. went for help and found a number of willing hands at the residence of H. F. Lobeck. The following named persons formed in procesion, and marched to the scene of battle by lantern light: Adolph Lobeck of New York, Albert Hunsinger of Colley, Henry Earnest, Misses Hannah, Clara and Marie Lobeck of this place, and Carl H. Trube of Brooklyn, N.Y. After hunting around for a little, they found bruin lying in his blood, and putting him on a pole the gentlemen carried him to the house and hung him on a sour apple tree; the ladies lighting the way with lanterns. The scene was an impressive one. The dressing lasted several hours when they retired to the house and enjoyed an elegant supper, served by Mrs. R., after which they departed for their respective homes, reaching them about 1 a.m. Sunday morning. The bear weighed about 300 pounds and the robe will almost repay Mr. R. for his sheep which bruin had devoured. Several of the neighbors received some meat to satisfy their cravings for bear meat, and if Mr. Editor will be around some time this week, Mr. and Mrs. Rosengrant will be pleased to give him an opportunity to eat all he can stand of bear meat, after loosening his belt.

THE STREBY HISTORY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY

by George Streby

Table of Contents

The History of Colley: Colley, Early Settlers, Lopez, Ricketts, Ganoga Lake, Colley, The Soldiers, Individual biographies, Township Officers
Early Churches, Railroads, Towns, Businesses and Soldiers: Bernice, Gunton Colliery, Mildred, Satterfield, Cherry Mills, Hunsinger's Corners
History of Cherry Township: Early Settlements, Individual family biographies
History of Forks Township and Forksville Boro: Local geography, Early Settlers, Elkland, Shrewsbury, Early Churches, Early Schools, Forksville Borough, Millview, Campbellville, Overton, The Soldiers, Township Officers, Registered Voters--Forks, Campbellville, Forksville, Cherry Mills, Laporte
Hillsgrove Township: Organization, Surface and Drainage, Natural Resources, Products and Industries, Early Roads, Early Settlers, The Soldiers, Individual biographies, Old Postcard Photos, List of Registered Voters
Davidson Township: Local Geography, Early Settlers, Sonestown, Muncy Valley, Jamison City, Emmons, Bordering Towns, Williamsport & North Branch Railroad, Davidson's Soldiery, Individual biographies, Township Officers, Registered Voters--Beaver Dam, Elk Run, Emmons, Jamison City, Muncy Valley, Nordmont, North Mountain, Sonestown, Strawbridge
Laporte Township and Laporte Borough: Organization, The County Organized, The First Election, The First Court, Mails, Railroads, Tanneries, Surface and Drainage, Natural Resources, Products and Industries, Early Roads, Early Settlements, Individual biographies, County Officers, Township and Borough Officers, Registered Voters
History of Elkland: Including the Early Settlements, Together With Biographical Sketches, and Statistics and Matters of General Interest

The "Grain of Salt" in Streby: A Critical Overview by Pj Little

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