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Potter's Mills
History of Centre and Clinton Counties, John B Linn, 1883, page 411
"Potter's Mills is located on the John McConnel survey, which belonged to Gen. Potter. The Malcolm Andrew warrant of Feb. 11, 1794, lies at the southwest corner of the John McConnel. In 1788, Gen. Potter built the first log house, long used as a tavern, the foundation remains of which may still be discovered in the field in front of Mr. McCoy's. John Barber, Esq., was the carpenter, and the first mill and saw-mill were erected by him for Gen. Potter in 1788-89. Gen. Potter died in 1789, and the property passed to his son, afterwards Judge James Potter, who, before his death, in 1819, erected the houses occupied by the widow of William Allison and Mr. McCoy. Judge James Potter opened the first store there in November, 1790, and in 1813 he built the stone grist-mill lately owned by W. J. Thompson, and destroyed by fire a few years ago.
In 1833, J. and J. Potter and S. R. Patton erected "Potter's Woolen-Mill," and in 1837 enlarged its capacity and refitted it. On the 8th of March, 1839, it was burned down, but rebuilt the subsequent year. On the Messrs. Potter's failure, in 1848, it passed into the hands of Gen. James Irvin, and in 1855 was purchased by William Allison, Esq. Its successive operators were Samuel R. Patton, 1850; Irvin & Weirick, 1855; Patton, to 1857 ; H. P. Cadwallader, to 1860; Boozer & Allison, 18-. During the war its capacity was still further enlarged by improved machinery, and in 1866 steam-power was introduced. Since 1876 it has been under the management of William &E. Allison, who do a large wholesale business. A log mill existed previous to the Potter woolen-mill, which was carried on by Azariah Evans, using dye-stuff extracted from walnut and butternut-hulls gathered in the vicinity.
The first hotel-keeper at Potter's Mills was John Wagner, who kept the old log building. He was succeeded by Evan Miles, and he by John Carr, in 1811, and who kept there until 1824, when he removed to Brown's Mills, in Mifflin County. In 1824, John C. Coverly came to Potter's Bank, and was the first to occupy the brick hotel built by J. & J. Potter about that time. Wagner was miller at Potter's Mills (Wagner was succeeded by Daniel Weaver as miller, the latter by George Emerick), and kept tavern also; he removed to Mifflin County. He was the grandfather of John T. Johnston, postmaster (1882) at Bellefonte. Coverly was the best-known landlord; he set an elegant table, and was always ready to entertain his guests with remarkable stories. He signalized his first year by getting up a demonstration on the Fourth of July, and himself delivering the oration. His story of rattlesnakes coming down Nittany Mountain to drink at the spring at Taylor's tavern, above Pleasant Gap, induced a number of Philadelphia gentlemen to ride hard to reach that point before twelve o'clock, to be disappointed by Taylor's declaration that they had just been down at the spring, and had returned up the mountain. Mr. Diehl, of Philadelphia, who had landed interests in Centre County, often stopped with him. Coverly removed to Harrisburg, and Diehl, after many years, stopped at the Coverly House in Harrisburg, and not recognizing his old host's son, Wells, he remarked that he used to stop in Centre County with a man named Coverly, who kept one of the best hotels in that county. Wells said he knew him, but he was a man of no account, desiring to draw Mr. Diehl out. Diehl insisted on the fact that he kept an excellent hotel. "Yes," Coverly said, "that might be, but he was not thought much of." Diehl scratched his head, and remarked, "When I come to think of it, he was the infernalest liar I ever heard talk !"
Coverly (Roger, as he was nicknamed to such an extent that everybody supposed it his real name) would, in the presence of Gen. John Potter, represent to his guests that he (Coverly) owned the store and mills, and that the Potters were his tenants. Gen. John remonstrated with him one day on this wholesale lying. "You are very uncharitable, Mr. Potter," said Coverly, "in not allowing a man to be happy a little while." Coverly remained till July, 1838, then kept Coverly Hall, in the east end of Walker township, whence he removed to Harrisburg. He died at his son's, Wells Coverly, Aug. 18, 1856, aged seventy-nine years. He was born in Centre County, and in early life served an apprenticeship at the printing business. He was the father of Dr. Thomas Z. Coverly, who studied medicine with Dr. W. I. Wilson, and died Aug. 11,1837, at the early age of thirty-one.
J. C. Coverly was succeeded at Potter's Mills by Jacob G. Lebo. Potter's Mills, or, as it was most generally known, Potter Bank, was up to the failure of J. & J. Potter, in 1848, one of the most noted places among the traveling community in the State. The Potters were noted for their easy and elegant hospitality, and during the summer season the "Bank" was as gay as a " watering place."
Among its well-known residents was Dr. William Irvine Wilson, who commenced practice in 1818 in Penn's valley, and after practicing a number of years at Earleystown, built a large residence, having ample grounds at Potter's Mills, where he and his family dispensed a profuse hospitality for many years. Dr. Wilson's ancestor was the first person to cross Boyne water when William of Orange defeated the Papists. For his services he received two hundred and sixty acres of land. He resided within a mile of Coatshill, county-town of Cavan, in the north of ~Ireland; owned beside a large body of land, having sixty tenants. His grandson, Hugh, born in 1689, to whom his estates descended, emigrated to America and settled in the Forks of the Delaware, and died in the Irish settlement in 1773, aged eighty-four years. In 1737, in connection with Col. Martin, he laid out the town of Easton, and with Judge Craig organized and held the first court of Northampton County, in 1752. He was married, before he left Ireland, to Sarah Craig. Thomas, grandfather of Dr. Wilson, was twelve or thirteen years of age in 1730, when his father came over. He was actively engaged in business during the Revolution, and lost heavily by the depreciation of Continental money, and moved to Buffalo valley, one mile west of Lewisburg, where he died. Hugh Wilson, son of Thomas, married Catherine Irvine, and first settled on Col. Hartley's place, near Hartleton, where Dr. Wilson was born, Nov. 10, 1793. Hugh Wilson afterwards removed to Lewisburg, where he kept store, and in 1803 moved to the farm, about one mile west of Lewisburg, still owned by Francis Wilson's heirs, where Dr. Wilson spent his early life before his removal to Centre County. A further notice of him appears in the article on the physicians of Centre County. Of his family, his daughter, Catherine I., is the wife of ex-Governor A. G. Curtin. One of his sons, Col. William P. Wilson, went out in 1862 as lieutenant in the One Hundred and Forty-eighth Regiment, and served during the greater part of the war upon Gen. Hancock's staff. He is now a resident of Trenton, N. J."
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