Table of Contents

Updates

Overview

Inscriptions, Photo and Dedication Speeches
New Plate

Recent Events
Lenape Voices
Petition
TSUC's Present Position
News Articles
Historical References
Cultural References
Other

Recent Updates

Tom Quick: let a sleeping legend lie - Page 1 and 2. Pike County Courier. January 6, 2006.

The article states - Fluhr (Pike County Historian) quotes an account from Quick's mother who says, "The murder of his father 'turned his head and now he's not responsible for anything he says or does'... He was psychotic." Fluhr concluded.

TSUC Comment - The obvious question - Why honor the acts of a psychotic person? The monument inscriptions, etc. clearly honors his "psychotic" acts.

See Monument Inscriptions and Background

Gatzke Retires From Milford Borough Council. Pike County Dispatch. January 5, 2006. See marked sections.

Settlers Monument Unsettled. Tristatenews.com. Sept. 16, 2004.

This is the last statement from any public officials.

This article stated the following: He (Council member James Price) said that the current plan is get an agreement from the Lenape side so that the borough could restore the obelisk and that the monument would remain intact “50 years from now.”

However, someone else who was at the meeting reported the following to TSUC: A few people from the audience stood up and insisted that the monument should go back up immediately. Matt Osterberg (Council President) appropriately said that the feelings of the Lenape needed to be respected, that they have been persecuted for a long time.

Hopefully this other account is more accurate and the Council is still trying to work with the Lenape in good faith.

Council Asked to Renegotiate Tom Quick Monument Resolution. Pike County Dispatch. April 15, 2004.

Borough Wants Documentation Before Lenpae Talks Begin. Pike County Dispatch. April 8, 2004.

Century later, "Indian slayer" memorial again sparks controversy. Associated Press. April 6, 2004.

Photo of Monument

Tom Quick, Jr. Monument Dedication Speeches in 1889

Compiled by
Rev. A. S. Gardiner,
Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Milford.

Tom Quick
"The Indian Slayer" or "Avenger of the Delaware"
1734-1796

After a peaceful residence here of twenty years, and of unbroken friendship with the Indians, Tom Quick, Sr., while crossing the Delaware on the ice, carrying a grist on his shoulder, was shot and scalped by his supposed friends, the Delawares, who were lyinng in ambuish along the bluff on the south side of the mouth of the Van De Mark, and a half mile east of his humble home.

Tom Quick dies in 1796 at the house of James Rosenerantz, on the banks of the Delaware five miles nort-east of this spot and was buried on the farm of his friend in what is now the Rose Cemetary two miles south of Matamoras. His remains were taken up on the 110th Anniversary of the Battle of the Minisink, July 22, 1889 and placed beneath this monument.

Done under the direction of Rev. A.S. Cardiner, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Milford, 1889.

Monument Plates

Maddened by the death of his Father at the hands of the savages, Tom Quick never abated his hostility to them until the day of his death, a period of over forth years.

Thomas Quick, Sr., father of Tom Quick his oldest child, emigrated from Holland to America and settles on this spot in 1733. he was the first white settler in this part of the Upper Delaware, and his log cabin, saw mill and grist mill, built on this bank of the Van De Mark, were the first structures ever erected by white men in the settlement of the region.

Tom Quick was the first white child born within the limites of the present borough of Milford. This spot was his birth-place and home till the cruel death of his father by the Indians, 1756.

This monument was erected by a descendant of Thomas Quick Sr. of the fifth generation, in youth a resident of Milford, in age one of the founders of the Chicago Tribune, and from 1865 to 1869, Laeutenant Governor of the State of Illinois.

Photo of Some Original Plates

Plates Added to the Monument Base

This is a grave site and should be respected as such.

This is a monument adn its inscriptions reflect a dialogue and mindset of the era in which is was first erected circa 1889, which was 94 years after the death of Tom Quick.

Many stories have been written about Tom Quick but there is not enough documented evidence to separate truth from fiction. However, research into his life continues to be encouraged by the Pike County Historical Society.

This gravesite is under the care of the Milford Borough Council with the approbation of the members of the Cree Nation, long recognized as peacemakers.

Photos of New Plate

Overview

Top

Tom Quick, Jr. (1734-1795) killed allegedly countless Native Americans, including women and children, in revenge for the murder of his father, Tom Quick, Sr., by a Delaware Indian. Despite his atrocious actions, a monument honoring Tom Quick, Jr. was erected on Sarah Street in Milford almost 100 years after his death on August 28, 1889. His remains were also placed under the monument. The monument has various emblems and inscriptions.

For a more complete description of the monument, see the following:

1. "TOM QUICK The Indian Slayer, or The Avenger of the Delaware" as read before the Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands, March 7th, 1904. The description can be found by searching the above link for the following text - "..his descendants unveiled a monument to his memory in the presence of a thousand persons."
2. "4 Inscriptions on the Base of the Tom Quick Monument" as published in the Pike County Dispatch on July 3, 2003

Milford and Pike County have been critized over the years for having a monument to such a person and for some of the derogitory inscriptions on the monument. These critisms extended to national sources such as the following:

The book "Forgotten Americans" published in 1998 included a chapter on Tom Quick and sarcastically mentioned his memorial in Milford.

Noel Paul Stookey song’s “Tom Quick” (Repost) was included on the archival release of the album "Something New & Fresh" (1978) on CD in 2001. This song was released for the first time in this country and is a sad commentary on Milford and Pike County for displaying a monument that the song says is a “sorry sign to help passing strangers understand the fraying of their (Pike County's) minds”.

The monument was destroyed in 1997 by unknown persons. Milford Borough had the monument repaired in 1999. They planned to re-erect the monument in August 1999 according to some news sources including the Time Herald-Record on May 4, 1999 (Repost). The Native American Historical Truth Association (NAHTA) held a successful protest in June 1999 and prevented the rededication of the monument. The repaired monument is presently in storage and its fate is unknown. However, the monument was listed on a tourist map published by the Borough of Milford in 2000.

Tourist Map - The map was printed by Community Map Company of Birdsboro, PA and Tom Quick Inn (No. 14) was one of the paid sponsors of the map. The park just below the area of the monument is inaccurately expanded to include the full triangle between Upper Broad Street and Route 209. The area at the upper part of the triangle is presently occupied by a Texaco Gas Station.

The residents of Sarah Street questioned the monument's fate at the Milford Borough Council in July of 2002 - See New Report. The Borough Council did not have an answer. There has been no formal public discussion or reports of anyone actively working on the issues related to the monument.

The Tri-State Unity Coaltion (TSUC) has previously discussed the issues since December 2001 TSUC Minutes. However, we felt is was necessary to research the history and issues prior to any formal discussion by our group. We conducted our research over the following year and came to the conclusion that this was a human relations issue which needed a human relations solution. Therefore, we held a public meeting on May 14, 2003 to prepare a position paper for presentation to Milford Borough officials in an effort to resolve the issues and to bring about community.

Recent Events

Top

May 14, 2003

TSUC held a public meeting on the issues - Meeting Announcement.and Meeting Minutes.

June 25, 2003

The Pike County Historical Society (PCHS) and owners of the Tom Quick Inn subsequently held an independent public meeting.

Pike County Dispatch on July 3, 2003 - "Monumental Decision on Tom Quick Marker" Page 1 and 2.

June 28, 2003

TSUC released our plan to bring about a resolution to the monument issues.

Cover Letter to Milford Borough Council - June 26, 2003

"Pathway to Community Harmony Concerning the Tom Quick Monument"

News Release - "Unity Group's Monumental Plan" - June 28, 2003

"Unity Group Wants Role in Decision" - Page 1 and 2 - July 3, 2003

July 7, 2003

TSUC discussed our proposal with the Milford Borough Council at the council meeting. The Borough Council indicated that our proposal was well written but they planned to work with the PCHS on the issues. The decision to work with the PCHS was not previously known. They also stated that they would also consider other public comments.

Our hope is that process to a resolution chosen by the PCHS and Council will bring about a comprehensive and lasting solution and will be made with appropriate representatives of the Delaware Indians. TSUC is pleased that the Council is seeking resolution to the monument issues and will consider public opinion. Therefore, TSUC will defer plans to form a committee at this time. A letter was sent to the Milford Borough Council informing them of our decision.

Letter to Milford Borough Council - July 29, 2003

September 8, 2003

The PCHS proposal was discussed and voted on at the Milford Borough Council meeting. There was no prior notice that the propsal would be presented and it was not on the meeting's agenda. Although the PCHS previously planned to present the proposal at the meeting since all the main participants were present - Bill Kiger, Professor Little Bear, Chief Wounded Bear, Lori Strelecki (Director at the PCHS Museum) and Tom Quick VI. The lack of public notice about the proposal was in contradiction to the Milford Borough Council's previous statement that they would consider public comment.

PCHS worked with Professor Little Bear and Chief Wounded Bear from the Cree Nation, a nation of Indians located in Canada. Chief Wounded Bear said that he spoke with American Indian leaders thorought the country but did not mention any specific group or that the Delaware Indians, who are native to this region, were consulted.

The Milford Borough Council accepted the PCHS proposal to re-erect the monument, as soon as possible, and then to add plates to the monument base in order to provide some context to the monument. See the below articles for the proposed plate text - plates installed (prior to Feb 2004). One person at the meeting requested a one month delay before the proposal was voted on so public comment could be made. The MBC said there was sufficient time for public comment in the four years since the monument was destroyed and in the time since the Tom Quick Inn Meeting in June. It should be noted that the meeting in June was not promoted as a Milford Borough Council related meeting and that the council only announced it would work with the PCHS in July.

The Milford Borough Council also said that this was a Borough issue and did not involve the County in any way. Isn't it ironic, that the Milford Borough Council chose to work with and accepted the propsal for a resolution from the Pike County Historical Society? The PCHS also receives annual funding from the county which comes from our taxes! Furthermore, the monument has been used in the past in tourist materials for the entire region - see brochure from the Pocono Mountains Vacation Bureau.

Prior to February, 2004

New plates were added to the monument base prior to February 2004

See Info.

April 5, 2004

The monument issues were discuss at the Milford Borough Council Meeting. Refer to report in the Pike County Dispatch - Borough Wants Documentation Before Lenpae Talks Begin. April 8, 2004.

September 16, 2004

Monument was discussed at the Milford Borough Council meeting on Sept. 13th. Refer to Settlers Monument Unsettled - Tristatenews.com. September 16, 2004.

This article stated the following: He (Council member James Price) said that the current plan is get an agreement from the Lenape side so that the borough could restore the obelisk and that the monument would remain intact “50 years from now.”

However, someone else who was at the meeting reported the following to TSUC: A few people from the audience stood up and insisted that the monument should go back up immediately. Matt Osterberg (Council President) appropriately said that the feelings of the Lenape needed to be respected, that they have been persecuted for a long time.

Hopefully this other account is more accurate and the Council is still trying to work with the Lenape in good faith.

Selected Recent Articles

Tri-State News - "Understanding Replaces Controversy Over Tom Quick" September 13, 2003 (R)

The River Reporter Online - "Milford and the Indians the Hatchet" September 18, 2003 (R)

News Eagle - "Milford Agrees to Interpret Quick Monument" - Page 1, 2 and 3 September 23, 2003

Indian Country Today - November 14, 2003

Pocono Record - "Milford should not celebrate violent acts of Tom Quick". Letter to the Editor from Bob Skelton (Bethlehem). February 8, 2004

Truth About the Monument - Article by Perry Gower. March 4, 2004

'Indian slayer' memorial sparks harsh feelings in 19th, 20th, 21st centuries. By Aaron Applegate. Pocono Record. March 14, 2004.

Tom Quick's legend: Maybe myth, definitely a mystery. By Aaron Applegate. Pocono Record. March 14, 2004.

News Briefs: IS IT REALLY A GRAVE? Pocono Record. March 14, 2004.

Letter to Editor: Tom Quick: Its time for the healing to begin by Chuck DeMund, Lenape Nation of Pa. Inc. March 17, 2004.

Editorial: Milford must lay Quick's myth, hatred to rest. Pocono Record. March 18, 2004.

Century later, "Indian slayer" memorial again sparks controversy. Associated Press. April 6, 2004.

Borough Wants Documentation Before Lenpae Talks Begin. Pike County Dispatch. April 8, 2004.

For Many Years Pike County was Run at the TQ. Pike County Courier. April 2004. States Tom Quick Inn named in honor of Tom Quick, Jr. This is were the "Summit" referenced by the Milford Borough Council was held. Why hold a "public" meeting to resolve issues over the TQ Monument at the TQ Inn? Note: The "Summit" was not publically declared affiliated with the MBC until sometime after the meeting.

Council Asked to Renegotiate Tom Quick Monument Resolution. Pike County Dispatch. April 15, 2004.

Settlers Monument Unsettled. TrisStateNews.com. September 16, 2004.

Lenape Voices

Local organization focused on "Cultural Awareness, Unity, and a better Understanding" about the issues that Native Americans have faced, how these struggles influenced our modern society, and the ongoing conflicts that must be addressed.

Petition to Prevent Re-Erecting the Tom Quick Monument

TSUC's Present Position

Top

Posted December, 2003

The Milford Borough Council voted to re-erect the Tom Quick Monument at their meeting in September 2003. TSUC does not support the decision to re-erect the monument because it was made without the appropriate representation of the Native American community and without an opportunity for public input on the proposal.

The Milford Borough Council stated at their meeting in July that they would work with the Pike County Historical Society on a resolution to the issues and that they would allow public input. The Pike County Historical Society made thier proposal to re-erect the monument with plates added to the base at the Milford Borough Council meeting in September. The council voted to accept the proposal and to re-erect the monument immediately. There was no public notice that a proposal on the monument would be presented at the meeting, the presentation of the proposal was not on the meeting agenda and a public comment period was denied prior to the vote.

TSUC is currently investigating the most responsible course of action and is in discussion with appropriate Native American groups on the issues.

Read this Article

Truth About the Monument
by Perry Gower

News Articles

CourtTV Crime Library - Notorious Murders - Mass & Spree Murders

Tom Quick by Seamus McGraw

Chapters (PDF)

Death, Be Quick
An Infection in the Body Politic
A Pure and Simple Place
A Walk in the Woods
Infection
Real Politique/Real Life
A Contagion in the Fog of War
"Nits Make Lice"
Blood Brother
The Infection Spreads
Epilogue
Bibliography
The Author

Associated Press

Articles

Century later, "Indian slayer" memorial again sparks controversy - April 6, 2004

Indian Country Today - Nation's Leading Native American News Source

Articles

Monument faces continued controversy - November 14, 2003 (R)

Columns - Newletter of the Pike County Historical Society

Articles

Little Bear Plays in the Garden and Butterflies are Free - Late Summer 2003
A Letter from Lori - Late Summer 2003

Tri-State News

Articles

Settlers Monument Unsettled - Sep. 16, 2004. (R)
Understanding Replaces Controversy Over Tom Quick - Sept. 13, 2003 (R)
Tom Quick Monument Discussed at Milford Meeting - July 11, 2003 (R)
Where is Tom Quick? (no longer posted) - July 3, 2002 (P)

Note: Article also published as "Quick: Where's his monument?" in the (Port Jervis) Gazette - July 12, 2002

Pike County Dispatch

Articles

Gatzke Retires From Milford Borough Council - January 5, 2006
Council Asked to Renegotiate TQ Monument Resolution - April 15, 2004
Borough Wants Documentation Before Lenpae Talks Begin - April 8, 2004
Tom Quick Revisited Letter by Cinnamon Alwin - February 12, 2004
Monument to What? Letter by Nancy Jo Vermeulen - February 12, 2004
Don't Celebrate Tom Quick Letter by Bob Skelton - February 12, 2004
Indian Slayer? Letter by Marie Camon - February 12, 2004
Tom Quick Resolved Letter by Rosalyn Williams - October 2, 2003
Milford OK's TQ Monument Replacement - Page 1 and 2 - August 7, 2003
TSUC at the Milford Borough Council Meeting - July 24, 2003

Reported in article "Auto Spa Owner, Milford Boro Will Share Streetscape Upgrade" by Ken Baumel.

See Clarification by TSUC

TSUC Should Butt Out Letter by Chief Wound Bear - July 17, 2003

See Clarification by TSUC
See Letter in Native News (R) for info on Chief Wounded Bear

Tom Quick Points Letter by Fred Rosencrance - July 17, 2003
It Starts with Pride Letter by Henry Nardi - July 10, 2003
4 Inscriptions on the Base of the Tom Quick Monument - July 3, 2003
Unity Group Wants Role in Decision - Page 1 and 2 - July 3, 2003
Monumental Decision on Tom Quick Marker - Page 1 and 2 - July 3, 2003
County Not Betting on Indians in Industrial Park - June 26, 2003
Discussion of 'Monumental' Proportions - June 19. 2003

News Eagle

Articles

Milford Agrees to Interpret Quick Monument - Page 1, 2 and 3 - Sept. 23, 2003

Clarification: The article states that TSUC members made a request at the MBC meeting. Perry Gower did make a request but did not declare his assocation with TSUC. No other TSUC members made any public comment at this meeting.

Milford And Tom Quick - July 1, 2003

See Note on Editorial by TSUC

Pike County Courier

Articles

Tom Quick: let a sleeping legend lie - Page 1 and 2 - January 6, 2006

For Many Years Pike County was Run at the TQ - April 2004.

States Tom Quick Inn named in honor of Tom Quick, Jr. This is were the "Summit" referenced by the Milford Borough Council was held. Why hold a "public" meeting to resolve issues over the TQ Monument at the TQ Inn?

Note: The "Summit" was not publically declared affiliated with the MBC until sometime after the meeting.

Times Herald Record

Articles:

Quick! Name Milford's Unique Claim to Fame - August. 23, 2003 (R)
Tom Quick, hero or devil? - June 14, 1999
The man, the legend - June 14, 1999
'Tom Quick Indian Slayer' loses his monument - May 4, 1999 (R)
Milford mulls honoring killer of Indians - April 29, 1999

Pocono Record Online

Articles:

Letter to Editor: Indian statue might balance Quick memorial - March 28, 2004
Letter to Editor: Reconsider the TQ monument in Milford - March 26, 2004
Letter to Editor: Would we honor Hilter with a statue? - March 26, 2004
Letter to Editor: Tom Quick: Its time for the healing to begin - March 17, 2004
Editorial: Milford must lay Quick's myth, hatred to rest.- March 18, 2004
News Brief: THE START OF TOM QUICK'S STORY - March 14, 2004

Article did not display on the site but was listed.

News Briefs: IS IT REALLY A GRAVE? - March 14, 2004.
Tom Quick's legend: Maybe myth, definitely a mystery. - March 14, 2004
'Indian slayer' memorial sparks harsh feelings in 19th, ... - March 14, 2004
Milford should not celebrate violent acts of Tom Quick - February 8, 2004
Time for Quick to be laid to rest - June 16, 1999 (P)
Details of Quick's legend fuzzy — at best - June 15, 1999 (P)
Native Americans say no to Quick monument - June 15, 1999 (P)
Tom Quick's character at issue in monument controversy - June 06, 1999 (P)

The River Reporter

Articles:

Lenape and Milford may bury the hatchet - April 8-14, 2004 (R)
Of Turtles and Zinc and the Leni Lenape - July 10, 2003
Milford and the Indians Bury the Hatchet - September 18, 2003 (R)
Native Americans Dedicate Milford Garden - August 21, 2003 (R)
What to do about Tom Quick - May 22, 2003
Indians are Still Fighting Tom Quick - April 15, 1999
Quick Monument Destroyed - January 8, 1998

Milford Magazine

A Quick Tale of a Different Type: Indians, Whites and a Promising Pike County Pact - August 2006. Page 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Native News

Re: Indian Killers Monument 'To be Re-erected Milford, PA' - June 5, 1999 (R)

Country Road Chronicles - Publication about Native American Culture

Note: TSUC is not affiliated with the Native American Historical Truth Association (NAHTA). The articles below are included only for information purposed

Articles Reposted with Permission on TSUC's Server:

Letter to the Editor by Norm Gasbarro - March 14, 2003

Note: Statements in this letter concerning the park were made based on the article "Phase Three Would Close Upper Broad Street" in Pike County Dispath on February 6, 2003 - See Page 1 and 2 (astricks).

Indian Killers Monument To be Re-erected in Milford, PA - May 11, 1999
Annoucement - Stop the Tom Quick Monument Rally
The Indian Wars are Not Over
The Battle is Won. The War is Not Over
More About Tom Quick
Milford Borough re: Rededication Ceremony to Tom Quick, "Indian Slayer"
Letter to Nahta - Indigenous Peoples Rights Violated
Letter to Milford Borough Council in Protest of the Tom Quick Monument
Brief Proposal Negotiations Between NAHTA and Milford Borough Council
Atrocities Need to be Stopped Here: Down With the Quick Monument!
An Opinion: Mass-Murderer Should Not Be Honored, But Buried
Threat of Smallpox Contamination at Tom Quick Burial Site

http://www.800poconos.com/pike.pdf (R)

"The primary industry in Pike County was bluestone mining and you can still see it in use in the Tom Quick Monument."

A promotional piece from the Pocono Mountains Vacation Bureau, Inc. that was written after 2000 based on the listings of the Pear Blossom and Black Bear Feastival. This was well after the monument was destroyed.

Cultural References

Tom Quick - Lyrics of a song by Noel Paul Stookey on the album "Something New and Fresh" Bonus Track Released 1978 (R)

Selected Lyrics:

In the town of Milford, Pennsylvania
There stands a sorry sign ...

"Tom Quick" it says,
" the indian slayer of legendary fame lived in this region"
Where he played a hero's game
He was angered by the slaying of his father...

For forty years, the remainder of his life
Tom Quick killed and killed avenging wrong for right...

The tally of Tom Quick's legend is written: 99..

In the town of Milford, Pennsylvania
There stands a sorry sign
To help passing strangers
Understand the fraying of their minds

Indian Comic Books, Strips, Etc. available at the Michigan State University Libraries, Special Collections Division. The Tom Quick listing is as follows:

Indian Slayers.
"Indian Sign" (text) 2 p. in Two-Fisted Tales, no. 33
(May/June 1953) -- SUMMARY: Story of Tom Quick, ferocious Indian-slayer.
k. Quick, Tom. k. Indian Slayers. Call no.: PN6728.2.E14T9a no.33

Historical References

Milford Enhancement Committee

Reprinted from Crossroads.

From the MEC's web site, follow these links "Historical Milford" to "Brief History". The below excerpts were taken directly:

"The settlement of the site of Milford by white men dates back to 1733, when Thomas Quick Sr. arrived and located along the stream in the area where a monument to this pioneer and his legendary son now stands."

"Quick Sr. was slain by the Indians in 1756 and his son Tom Jr., enraged by the act, became "The Avenger of the Delaware", a man who it is reported dedicated his life to a murderous revenge against members of the red race."

Trace's of the Past Web Site

Articles:

Minisink Deed posted on the page about the Westfall/Westvael Family - Tom Quick, Sr. brought land from the Indians in 1696 and this land lies principally in Deerpark Township, Orange County, New York.

Westfall Historical Momuments - Decker's Tavern where Modeline (also called Muskwink), the Indian who scalped Tom Quick, Sr., re-enacted the old man's death agony to Tom, Jr. Tom, Jr. then let him outside the tavern and shot him. The Tavern is located on US 209 about 3/4 mile northeast of Port Jervis, NY.

See also below the full accounts of the Decker's Tavern story:

The Indian Slayer, or The Avenger of the Delaware and Legends of the Shawangunk - Tom Quick and the Indian Muskwink

Legends of the Shawangunk by Philip H. Smith - Published: Pawling, NY: Smith & Co., 1887

Available from the following sites:

WebRoots.org Genealogy Foundation
JR's Rare Books
Orange County History and Genealogy Project.

Described by JR's Rare Books:

Great compendium of information on the Hudson and Delaware River valley Indians and settlers. Shows the tremendous hardships of frontier life, which can scarcely be imagined today. Also, the role of the British Empire in paying Indians to rape, burn and pillage was not censored back then. After all, in the 19th Century, we didn't have to support them in two world wars, and thus pretend that everything they ever did was pure and golden. (My general view of Britain is that the people are basically of good stock, being a great repository of White blood, but that they were caught up in an evil empire -- an artifact of unrestrained capitalism, freemasonry and concealed jew-worship -- that was counter-productive to White interests. I probably couldn't have seen it at the time myself, being caught up in the false pride of uniforms and ceremonies). White scalps went for $5 apiece; the Brits would not pay for negro scalps, so rarely was a negro killed.

Tom Quick Related Sections:

Tom Quick the Indian Slayer
Tom Quick and the Indian Muskwink
Tom Quick and the Buck with Seven Skins
Tom Quick's Indian Exploits
Indian Stratagem to Slay Tom Quick
Indian Savages Plan Tom Quick's Capture

The Peirce Edition Project - Volume 6

Author Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914), a uniquely American philosopher and scientist, wrote extensively about his time. Volume 6 of his landmark edition contains 47 writings—most just after he moved from New York to Milford, Pennsylvania. He wrote only the below statement in reference to Tom Quick.

"Mrs. Pinchot wants us to change the name Quicktown, but I dont know that I agree with her. It is the name we found & `Tom Quick' is rather a romantic figure in the history of the valley"—the following year a monument to Tom Quick was erected in Milford to mark the one hundred and fifty-sixth anniversary of its settlement."

TOM QUICK. The Indian Slayer, or The Avenger of the Delaware

Read before the Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands, March 7th, 1904 from the WebRoots.org Genealogy Foundation

Olde Tool Shop

THE ORIGINAL LIFE AND ADVENTURES --- of --- T O M Q U I C K, THE INDIAN SLAYER, As Published at Monticello in 1851.

On-Line or PDF

The Original Life and Adventures of Tom Quick, The Indian Slayer - Parts 1 and 2

Attributed to James E. Quinlan (Deposit, NY: The Deposit Journal, 1894) from WebRoots.org Genealogy Foundation or JR's Rare Books

As Described on JR's Rare Books:

Tom Quick was a resourceful, brave and willful White pioneer. He was just as trail-wise as the Indians, and usually beat them at their own game. This is probably why you never hear about him today. The liberal press preaches the concept that "at the heart of prejudice lies ignorance", but Tom Quick would seem to refute that. He lived amongst Indians all his life, hunted like them and spoke their languages like a native. Yet, he grew to hate them with great intensity. A seat-of-the-pants, plainly written account of a great American.

Preface on JR's Rare Books Page:

"We presume that ere we close our "eventful history," it will be unnecessary to make an effort to prove that the Indians, if they had historians of their own, could have rendered the conduct of the whites with whom they came in contact quite as worthy of execration as the white historians have made that of the red man; nor is it necessary to attempt to show that the murders committed by Tom were unjustifiable, and that no system of ethics, whether of savage or civilized origin, will afford an excuse for his bloody outrages." -- Tom Quick, ch. XIX (1851)

Other

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Quick Family Genealogy on Genealogy.com

A post lists the following books:

"Legend of the Delaware: An Historical Sketch of Tom Quick written by William Boss (a descendant of Tom Quick, Sr.)

"Tom Quick, Early American" book by F W Crumb

The Portable North American Indian Reader, edited by Frederick W. Turner. Available for purchase at these links 1 or 2. Tom Quick section written by Harold W. Thompson (7-pages).

Tlahui-Politic. No. 7, I/1999: Chihuahuas, War & Indian Slayers

Información enviada al Director de Tlahui. México a 10 de Junio, 1999. Chihuahuas, War & Indian Slayers. From Universal Press Syndicate for Release: Week of June 11, 1999

Location of Tom Quick Monument - Tourist Map

This tourist map was published in 2000 by the Borough of Milford. This was published after the successful NAHTA protest. It was printed by Community Map Company of Birdsboro, PA. Tom Quick Inn (No. 14) was one of the paid sponsors of the map. Note that the park just below the area of the monument is inaccurately expanded to include the full triangle between Upper Broad Street and Route 209. The area at the upper part of the triangle is presently occupied by a Texaco Gas Station.

Aerial Photo of Monument Base - April 24, 1999

Labeled Photo

U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph of Milford, PA showing the area of the Tom Quick Monument. The monument base can barely be seen on Sarah Street.

Tom Quick Monument Base Photos - February 2003

Looking East on Sarah Street
Heading East on Sarah (close-up monument base)
Close-up of monument base
Looking Back at monument base
Looking West on Sarah Street from corner of Sarah and Broad

Park Photos - February 2003

Triangle Park - Broad St. to left - Rt. 209 to right