Celestia Hopkins Herrick

In 1813 there had come to Athens a young man who became actively interested in the town interests, and later in the politics of the county. Edward Herrick, Sr., first came in 1806 to visit his brother Walter, who was engaged in mercantile business at Tioga Point, and later at Owego. Probably it was during this visit that Edward Herrick met Celestia Hopkins, for while he lived in Ohio for the next few years, he returned in 1810 to claim her as his bride. They returned to Ohio, where the brilliant young lawyer had many honorable appointments. But the wife pined for her own people, and in 1813 they braved once more the perils of the wilderness journey, returning to Athens in a carriage by a long and rough road, with their little son, Castle Hopkins. Their first residence was in the smaller log house on Matthias Hollenback's property, supposed to be the one built by Secord in 1778 or earlier. Later Mr. Herrick purchased lot No. 12 (now Ercanbrack property), occupied by Welles & Caton's store. Here he

erected a pleasant home, which was occupied by himself and his son, and when it burned, another house was built and occupied by Edward Herrick, Jr., his grandson, until 1881. Mr. Herrick had been admitted to the bar in Ohio in 1808, and immediately began the active practice of law in Bradford and adjoining counties. He became at once the warm friend of Henry Welles, of whom later he was a bitter political enemy. His letters to the young member of the Legislature are full of knowledge, and interest in the town and State, with a vein of sarcastic humor, as when commenting on the vote of the members to increase their own salary:

"What could be more wise than to add to the fees of the worthy for their arduous toils for the preservation and liberty of the republic. — Who more worthy than the sons of Confucius! and who better judges of that worth though I doubt the propriety of too much liberty in making such provision, you know money is the rock on which the heterodoxical build their pretensions and right to unlimited control,"

2 Judge Herrick's biography, will be found in sketch of early lawyers. The portrait of his wife is crude, but of interest because it was painted by her son Curran, who had artistic ability which was never cultivated.

3 Their driver was a devoted and faithful colored man, Peter Carlisle, who remained in this vicinity, and whose descendants are among us to this day. Peter was long the ferry man over the Tioga. From "A History of Old Tioga Point and Early Athens, Pennsylvania"

This portrait was painted by her son Curran.

8 Celestia Hopkins Herrick

The portrait of Celestia Hopkins Herrick was painted by her son, Edward Curran Herrick, about 1829, when Edward was fifteen years old.

Celestia Hopkins was born on Mar. 20, 1792, in Athens, the second of five children of Dr. Stephen Hopkins (1766-1841) and Jemima Lindsley (1772-1830). Her parents came to Athens from New Jersey in 1790. Her father Stephen was a practicing physician in Athens for fifty years. Celestia was educated in Litchfield, CT.

Celestia Hopkins married Edward Herrick on Nov. 5, 1810, in Athens.

[Photo: Edward Herrick (Murray)]

Edward Herrick was born on Oct. 26, 1787, in Amenia, Dutchess county, NY, the fifth of ten children of Samuel Herrick (1754-1821) and Margaret Per Lee (1759-1825). Edward studied law in Poughkeepsie, NY, and was admitted to the bar in Ohio, where he had settled about 1806. Edward came to Tioga Point in 1806 to visit his brother Walter, who had a mercantile business here. He probably met Celestia during this visit. He was described as "of Newark, Ohio" at the time of their marriage.

Edward and Celestia lived in Ohio after their marriage. Their first child was born there. But Celestia "pined for her own people" (Murray), and they moved to Athens in 1813. Edward "immediately began the active practice of law in Bradford and adjoining counties." (Murray)

The Herricks' first home was "the smaller log house on Matthias Hollenback's property."

Later Mr. Herrick purchased lot No. 12 (now [1908] Ercanbrack property), occupied by Welles & Caton's store. Here he erected a pleasant home, which

was occupied by himself and his son, and when it burned, another house was built and occupied by Edward Herrick, Jr., his grandson, until 1881. [see NOTE]

Celestia and Edward Herrick had five children:

• Castle Hopkins Herrick (1811-1865), born in Ohio, married his first cousin Rachel Mead Herrick (1809-1882); lived and died in Athens; buried in Tioga Point Cemetery

• Edward Curran Herrick (1814-1884) - see artist bio

• Helen Eliza Herrick (1818-1839) married Chauncey Newell Shipman (1813-1893); died in Athens; buried in Tioga Point Cemetery

• George Herrick (1822-?)

• Samuel Herrick (1830-1830) died in infancy

Celestia Hopkins Herrick died on Aug. 28, 1830, in Athens. She was buried in Tioga Point Cemetery with her husband and many of her family members.

References

• Murray, Louise Welles. A History of Old Tioga Point and Early Athens. Raeder Press, Wilkes-Barre, PA, 1908

• Gazette, Athens, PA

• Heverly, Clement C. Pioneer and Patriot Families of Bradford County. Bradford Star Print, Towanda, PA, 1913 & 1915

• Map of Bradford County Pennsylvania, from actual Surveys by Lake, Ames, & Davison. Wm. J. Barker, Philadelphia, 1858. Reprinted by the Bradford County Historical Society, 2010.

• Beers, F. W., et al. Atlas of Bradford Co. Pennsylvania. Beers, Ellis & Soule, New York, 1869

• Familysearch.org

The 1858 and 1869 maps of Athens borough show "E. Herrick" on a very large lot just north of the Olde Athens/Riverside cemetery. This house is probably present-day 113 Edward St. In 1910 Edward Herrick's grandsons Edward Francis Herrick (1837-1911) and George Herrick (1849-1884), both sons of Edward Curran Herrick, lived at that address. Edward Francis Herrick's obituary in the Athens Gazette stated:

He received his early education in the Old Academy and afterward took a course in civil engineering, but most of his life was devoted to the care of the estate left him by his father.

Edward Herrick, Jr. (1839-1890), who built and occupied the new house after the earlier one had burned, was a son of Edward Herrick's son Castle Hopkins Herrick. The "Ercanbrack property" in 1908 was probably 720 S. Main St., home of Cidney C. Lent Ercanbrack, widow of George T. Ercanbrack. That house is on the west side of Main St., 2 doors north of the Tioga Point Museum. It is not the house shown on the map above. It was Castle Hopkins Herrick's home in 1858 and 1869.

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