John Henry Antes, settled along the West Branch Susquehnna River circa 1772. His property was on the very edge of the Pennsylvania frontier. Antes’ neighbors on the north side of the West Branch Susquehanna and west of Lycoming Creek were outside the jurisdiction of the colonial government of Pennsylvania. They banded together to form the Fair Play Men. Antes, as a Justice of the Peace for what was then Northumberland County, worked closely with the Fair Play Men. He conducted their weddings and his stockade provided some protection against raids conducted by local Native Americans, who began fighting back against the encroachment of the Europeans.

Antes built a gristmill along Antes Creek in 1773. It was the most advanced construction of any kind in frontier north-central Pennsylvania. John Henry Antes served as a Justice of the Peace from July 29, 1775 until January 24, 1776 when he was appointed captain of 58 militiamen under Colonel James Potter.

After participating in a raid conducted by Colonel William Plunket against settlers from Connecticut in the Wycoming Valley near Wilkes-Barre, Antes returned to his gristmill, home and future fort in mid-1777. He also was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel that same year.

The Fort Antes stockade surrounding the home of John Antes, was built circa 1778. The fort was built under the direction of Colonel Antes, who was a member of the Pennsylvania militia.

The local militia held the fort for a short period of time until it was ordered to abandon Fort Antes during the Big Runaway by Colonel Samuel Hunter. Despite being abandoned and attempts by the attacking British forces to burn it down, Fort Antes was one of only two structures in the valley to survive the Big Runaway.

Colonel Henry Antes was one of the first settlers to return to the West Branch Valley following the Big Runaway in July 1778. He found that his mill had been destroyed, but that his home within the fort had not. Antes soon built a larger home on Antes Creek. The fort was abandoned. It gradually decayed before being dismantled. The ground was leveled and then farmed and today there are no remnants of Fort Antes to be seen above the ground.

Colonel Antes was elected the sheriff of Northumberland County in 1782, thirteen years before Lycoming County was established. John Henry Antes died on May 18, 1820 when he was 83 years old.1461
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Also recorded as “Johann Heinrich” Antes (after his father) in various sources.3
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Henry and his brother John are listed as among the twenty-three students of a new boarding-school for boys established by the Moravian Brethren in 1745. Their father offered the use of his plantation in Frederick Township, it’s buildings and mill for it’s use and was opened on 3 Jun 1745.

John Henry Antes lived in Frederick until about the beginning of 1775, when
he removed to Northumberland County. He was an Indian scout, captain of militia, Indian fighter, sheriff and mill-builder. He died at Antes' Fort
on the 13th of July, 1820.1462
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A “John Antes” is apprenticed to Br. A. Andreas as a Wheel Wright on January 19, 1757. Later in January 1759 a “Joh. Antes” is listed by the Moravian Church in Bethlehem, PA as a Wheelwright in this source. Wheelwrights were those who made and repaired wooden wheels.1463,1464
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John Henry obtained the rank of Lt. Col. of the Second Battalion of Northlumberland Associators and later served as Commander of Antes Fort.1196 There are references to his service at this source.1465
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“Henry” was a Moravian, born is Germany, but the date of his removal to America is unknown. He was a colonel in the Revolutionary Army throughout the war.829
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His father wrote in his Bible: “5th October, 1736, a son was born to me this morning at 3 o’clock. I named him John Henry. The Saviour preserve him to eternal life. He was baptized by Rev. John Philip Boehm. I myself stood as sponsor at the baptism.”1199
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John inherited his grandfather’s New Hanover Township [Philadelphia County, PA] farm. He came to Northumberland County in 1773 (now Lycoming County, PA)

1776-1777 Built Fort Antes. Elected justice of peace
1777 Commissioned Colonel Northumberland County Militia
1781 County Commissioner Northumberland County
1782 Presiding judge
1783 Elected sheriff. Reelected 1784

Friend of Conrad Weiser*1466
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Sheriff of Northumberland County in 1782 (See Harbaugh, "Fathers of the Reformed Church," vol. i. page 326.)445
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Thomas Grant received the highest number of votes for Sheriff, but Henry Antes, the next highest in number of votes, received the commission.1467
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Colonial American pioneer
Builder of 'refuge stockade' (Fort Antes) on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River (PA)

The fort was abandoned when officials at Fort Augusta (present Sunbury, PA) refused to support resistance against the Indians in the midst of the struggle with the British. No portion of the fort is presently extant. Family graves are near the established site. A report of excavations done around April 1965 spoke of discoveries of the spring (water) used by the fort, square nails, packed stone, and an Indian anvil.

The Lt. Col. also served in various county (then Northumberland, now Lycoming) posts after the war:

Colonel, Northumberland County Militia, 1777
County Commissioner, Nothumberland County, 1781
Presiding Judge, Northumberland County, 1782
Justice of the Peace, Northumberland County
Sheriff, Northumberland County, 1783, 17841468
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Sheriffs [were in 1891 elected triennially and Henry Antes is listed as serving 1785-1788.1469
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Colonel John Henry Antes

The first colonial settlers arrived in the Nippenose (Lycoming Co., PA) area in 1769. Henry Clark was the first to arrive with a "warrant" to the land from the colonial Pennsylvania government. One of the most prominent eary settlers was Colonel John Henry Antes. He is thought to have arrived as early as 1772. His last name is featured prominently in place names in Nippenose Township. Antes Creek the main creek in the valley and Antes Fort a small village both bear his name. Antes built a stockade around his home, his neighbors came to call it "Antes Fort" and the name has lived on to today. Colonel Antes also built a grist mill† at the mouth of Antes Creek on the West Branch Susquehanna River in 1777. This mill was burned during the Revolutionary war.

During the American Revolutionary War, settlements throughout the Susquehanna valley were attacked by Loyalists and Native Americans allied with the British. After the Wyoming Valley battle and massacre in the summer of 1778 (near what is now Wilkes-Barre) and smaller local attacks, the "Big Runaway" occurred throughout the West Branch Susquehanna valley. Settlers fled feared and actual attacks by the British and their allies. Homes and fields were abandoned, with livestock driven along and a few possessions floated on rafts on the river east to Muncy, then further south to Sunbury. The abandoned property was burnt by the attackers. Some settlers soon returned, only to flee again in the summer of 1779 in the "Little Runaway". Sullivan's Expedition helped stabilize the area and encouraged resettlement, which continued after the war.

When things finally calmed down in 1792, Colonel Antes returned to Nippenose Township and rebuilt his mill. This second mill was a vital link for the economy of Nippenose Township until 1873 when a new mill was built in its place.

Antes furthered his enterprises by building a carding and fulling mill on the banks of Antes Creek in 1810. Antes passed away in 1820. Ownership of the mills was passed onto his son-in-law Elias P. Youngman. Youngman and his sons expanded the business yet again in 1835 by adding machinery that was able to clean clover seed. Clover seed was very expensive at the time, a bushel of the seed sold for as much as $24.00. Clover was very important to farmers for providing ground cover and as a food supply for their grazing dairy cows.

Antes Fort

The village of Antes Fort rose up around the train station that was built in Nippenose Township to service the borough of Jersey Shore which is the north and across the West Branch Susquehanna River from Nippenose Township. Antes Fort went through several name changes. The surveyor who drew up the towns plans called it "Granville". This name was seldom used as the locals preferred to call it "Jersey Shore Station". The name Antes Fort was not bestowed on the village until 1861 when the United States Post Office established a branch there and named it in honor of Colonel Antes' stockade.1470

Fort Antes was a stockade surrounding the home of Colonel John Henry Antes, built circa 1778 in Revolutionary Pennsylvania in the United States. The fort was built under the direction of Colonel Antes, who was a member of the Pennsylvania militia. It was on the east side of Antes Creek, overlooking and on the left bank of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River on a Plateau in Nippenose Township south of modern day Jersey Shore in western Lycoming County. The local militia held the fort for a short period of time until it was ordered to abandon Fort Antes during the Big Runway by Colonel Samuel Hunter. Despite being abandoned and attempts by the attacking British forces to burn it down, Fort Antes was one of only two structures in the valley to survive the Big Runaway.1471
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By the 1770s, the French and Indian War and other events had transformed the earlier colonists relation to the Indians, and Col. Henry was known as somewhat of an Indian fighter. He and the other settlers in the Antes Fort area abandoned the Fort and their farms in what was called the Great Runaway (1778, I think), stimulated by British and Iroquois attacks. The settlers killed before the Runaway are memorialized in the Fort Antes cemetery, where the Col and some of his descendants are buried. He may have participated in the Sullivan campaign (1778 or 1789) which broke the back of the Iroquois confederacy in New York for the duration of the Revolution. He did return to Fort Antes and rebuild, and the house be built on his return still stands and is occupied, though not by descendants.1472
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Col. John Henry Antes had 12 [13] children by two wives, and his descendants must number in the thousands. I am descended from Joseph Antes, who was his last and youngest child (as far as I have researched, so far - like all other "facts" in this business.)1473
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In the summer of 1777, Colonel Antes' company of men erected a stockade fort on the frontier along the Susquehanna River near what is now Jersey Shore. An important rallying point for settlers in the region, the stockade was constructed on a bluff overlooking the river and called Antes Fort. (It was later destroyed by the Indians and Torries during July 1778, at the time of the big runaway when the entire valley was flooded).1474
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In reference to John Henry Antes, the third son of Henry Antes, born 5 Ocotber 1736: "When Genesee County, New York, opened to settlers, in company with his brother William he acquired land grants there, tracts of fertile land that afterwards proved very profitable holdings. Leaving his brother to secure his rights he returned to his home on the Susquehanna, nearly opposite the mouth of Pine Creek and near the outlet of Major (Jacob) Antes Gap."

This would explain the connection between the Pennsylvania and New York Anteses [sic].1475
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This source indicates John died 13 May 1820.948
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*Conrad Weiser was a famous interpreter and emissary in councils between Native Americans and the colonies, especially Pennsylvania.3

†A gristmill or grist mill is a building in which grain is ground into flour. In many countries these are referred to as corn mills or flour mills.3