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July 25, 1839
Phoebe Young, aged 89 years
ST. Stephen's Protestant Episcopal Church Burials

July 24, 1839
Died – In Wilkes-Barre Township on Sunday morning last, Mrs. Phebe Youngs, aged 89 years. The deceased was the oldest resident of this Borough, having resided here previous to and at the period of the massacre of the inhabitants of the Valley by the Indians, and was one of the few who escaped, thro’ the wilderness to the Settlements on the Delaware after that melancholy event. She retained her intelligence which was at all times remarkable until a very short period previous to her death. Few persons ever enjoyed more universally the respect of the community in which they resided, few possessed more Christian like and Womanly virtues or had during so long a life fewer enemies. (Republican Farmer & Democratic Journal)

Mrs. Youngs
From the Wilkes Barre Advocate
The papers have already mentioned the decease of Mrs. Youngs. But the public expect, and it seems fitting, that a more extended notice should be given of one so aged, and whose life was marked by so many vicissitudes. Her maiden name was Phoebe Poyner. Her father was a Huguenot, who was compelled to leave France and come to the country, in consequence of persecution for religious opinions. An active and intelligent man, he was a commissary in the old French war. The name of her mother was Eunice Chapman, a native of Colchester, Conn, but married to Mr. Poyner at Sharon, Ninepartners, New York - where the subject of this notice was born, in 1750. Her father died of small-pox, at Albany; and her mother married Dr. Joseph Sprague, a widower, who had several children by his first wife. The united families removed to Wyoming in 1768 - Mrs. Young being then, of course, 18 years old.

This may be regarded as the date of permanent settlements at Wyoming, 71 years ago. What a change from that day to This! There were only five white women in Wilkesbarre township when she arrived: Mrs. McClure, wife of James McClure; Mrs. Sill, wife of Jabez Sill; Mrs. Bennett, grandmother of Rufus Bennett, the brave old soldier who was in the battle and still survives; another of the same name, wife of Thomas Bennett, mother of Mrs. Myers, still living, who gives such an interesting account of the entry of the Indians into Forty fort, and a Mrs. Hickman.

At Mill Creek, just above the large merchant mills of Mr. Hollenback, a fort was erected, containing, perhaps, an acre. A ditch was dug around the area, - logs, 12 or 11 feet high, split, were place perpendicularly in double rows, to break joints, so as to enclose it. loopholes, to fire through with musquetry, were provided. There was one cannon ion the fort, the only one in the settlement, until Sullivan's expedition in '79, but it was useless, except as an alarm gun, having no ball. Within this enclosure, the whole settlement was congregated; the men generally armed, going out to the farms to work during the day, and returning at night. The town plot of the borough had been laid out, but not a house built. It was a sterile plain, covered with pitch pine and scrub oak. Mrs. John Abbott, of Jacob's Plains, put up the first house, on the southwest corner of Main and Northampton street. Mr., afterward Col. Dennison, and Miss Sill were the first couple married at Wilkesbarre. The wedding took place at a house where the late Co' Well's house stands. Mrs. McClure gave birth to the first child born here - a son.

But let us look in upon them. The houses, store and shed were placed around against the walls of timber. Matthias Hollenback, then about 20, full of life and enterprise, had just come up the river with a boat load of goods, and opened a store of various articles, exceedingly needed. on the left, was the house of Z. Butler, Esq. Next on the right was the building of Dr. Sprague, the physician of the settlement, and who kept a boarding house. Here Mr. Hollenback and Mr. Dennison had their quarters. Capt. Resin Geer, who fell in battle, was here. For bread, they used pounded corn: mills there were none. Not a table, not a chair no bedstead, except for the rude manufacture of the hour. Dr. Sprague would take his horse, with as much wheat as he could carry, and go out to the Delaware to get it ground. a bridle path was the only road, and 70 to 80 miles to the mill was no trifling distance. The flour was kept for cakes, and to be used only on extraordinary occasions. But venison and shad were in abundance. All were elate with hope, and people for a time were never happier.

But sickness came. Zebulon, a son of Col. Butler, died; two daughters of the Rev. Mr. Johnson; two men, Pereguine Gardner and Thomas Robinson; then Lazarus Young, a brother of Mrs. Young's husband, was drowned in bringing up mill irons. Soon after Captain Butler and Mr. Young, her husband, was taken by the Pennymites and carried to Philadelohia, where they were bailed by friends and permitted to return.

At this time the Indians were numerous around the settlement; some of them belonging to the Moravian society, very orderly. Among them were Captain Job Gilliway and his wife Comfort. Black Henry and John Lystrom were also of the number: those were friendly and good neighbors. But at the breaking out of the war all left the country, went up the river and joined the Six Nations to whom they were in a state of vassalage.

About three years the people made their headquarters at the Fort; then, becoming numerous and feeling secure, scattered over the Valley.

Dr. Sprague died in Virginia. a son of his fell in battle. Mrs. Youngs' husband was up at the narrows with Colonel Butler on the 1st of July, and was in the battle on the 3d, but escaped. Mrs. Youngs was at her house in Hanover, where also were the wife of Col. Dennison, and her two children, the present Col. L. Dennison and Betsy, the late Mrs. Shoemaker. These three, with Mrs. Fitch, wife of Sheriff Jonathan Fitch, Mrs. Youngs and two children making 7, took a canoe, managed by Levi Vincent, on hearing the dreadful issue and the approach of the enemy, and pushed off into the river, without provisions, to seek safety from the murderous tomahawk. Meeting a boat coming up with stores for Capt. Spalding's Company, the sufferings of hunger were relieved, and the distressed fugitives, not knowing the fate of their friends, after a dangerous navigation of 120 miles, landed near Harrisburg, where they were hospitably received and kindly treated. Here they remained until Sullivan's army came to Wyoming and rendered it safe to return.

But we are occupying too much space. As Mrs. Youngs was the last survivor of those who occupied the Fort at Mill Creek, we thought her recollections of those early scenes might not be appropriate here, and to many convey interesting information of bye-gone days - the enterprise - the toil, and the suffering of the Pioneers in settling this charming Valley.

Mrs. Youngs was slender, and extremely delicately formed. Intelligent, observing, with a retentive memory, great sprightliness and vivacity and remarkably cheerful, it was delightful to visit her. Young and old, for many years, seemed to take special pleasure in calling and chatting for an hour. Of old times her memory was a full and perfect Record. For several years she has been blind, and being feeble from her great age, had been for a long time confined to the House. Yet a murmur or complaint never escaped her lips. Professing her Christian Religion, being a member of the Episcopal Church and reposing on the merits of her Saviour, her faith was perfect; and hence, in a great measure, that cheerfulness and resignation which rendered the advanced hours of life so serene and her society so uniformly pleasant. Her mortal remains were gathered to her parent earth at the good old age of 89. (North American - Newspaper Article)