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STO
BRADFORD COUNTY
PENNSYLVANIA @
CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
Cornell University Library F 157.876881 History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania 3 1924 006 706 364 olin, ove1
DATE DUE
FEB 1 8 1981 E
00
076 1986
Comprary Loan
RLG
JAN 1 1 1002
GAYLORD
PRINTED IN U. S.A.
UN
EL
Y
1865
UN
E
A.D
Cornell University Library
The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library.
There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924006706364
-
HISTORY
OF
BRADFORD COUNTY ,
PENNSYLVANIA,
WITH
BIOGRAPHICAL SELECTIONS.
" I hear the tread of pioneers *
* * * * The first low wash of waves, where soon Shall roll a mighty sea." -Anonymous.
By H. C. BRADSBY,
AUTHOR OF THE "HISTORY OF ARKANSAS," "BATTLE OF GETTYS- BURG," "HISTORY OF ILLINOIS," AND THE COMPILER OF DIVERS LOCAL HISTORIES IN ILLINOIS, MISSOURI, INDIANA AND PENNSYLVANIA.
ILLUSTRATED.
1
CHICAGO : S. B. NELSON & CO., PUBLISHERS, 1891.
.
1
-
DONOHUE & HENNEBERRY, Printers and Binders, 407 TO 425 DEARBORN ST., CHICAGO.
080 KCH
PREFACE.
COME distinguished pundit has remarked that the nation which best knows its own history is sure to be made up of the best type of patriots, and the chances are of the highest quality of civil- ization. If the reader and the writer are agreed on this philosopher's conclusions, then this page need hardly try to do more than simply say: "Here it is-make the most of it."
The attempt has here been made mostly to preserve facts, recorded and otherwise, that may be excellent material for the historian, who, let us hope, will some day come and tell it in form and manner worthy of the great theme. This is simply saying that no true history is written by the contemporaries of the great eras of a nation's story, and therefore no attempt here is made at history save that of a period three-quarters of a century ago, and the earlier day movements of men that cluster around the pioneers, the Revolution and the early civil history of the formation of the County. If the attempt has been at all successful, then the possessor of this volume may know that he has both a book for future reference as well as one that tells of the inner movements of his ancestors-that forlorn hope
" Who were the first That ever burst Into that silent sea.'
PART I. deals mostly with the past, though bringing the official and social records down to the present hour, yet so far as there is any attempt to discover the secrets of the movements of men's minds as a society, it will be found in this division of the volume.
PART II. presents an immense array of facts concerning nearly every prominent family in the county, both the living and their departed ancestors.
-
iv
PREFACE.
Thus the two are companion pieces, as it were, and as a whole represent something of a vast number of the most prominent people in the eventful story that founded this little empire within our great empire, as well as those who are to day the brawn and brain that are so busy building upon the enduring foundations laid by the immortal conquerors of a continent and the destroyers of tyrants.
One thing is quite certain : Time will add infinite value to this book even if by any lightly estimated now. The consciousness of this fact will rob the sting of any ruthless attack that may be made upon it.
While it is customary in works of this kind to make of the "preface " mostly a means of returning thanks for special favors in aiding and encouraging the enterprise to specified parties ; while the sincere thanks are here given, yet so many are entitled to mention that to name all or a greater part is simply impossible, therefore to the good people of Bradford county, one and all, for your considerate aid and repeated kindnesses, thanks-ten thousand thanks.
THE AUTHOR.
CONTENTS.
PART I.
CHAPTER I.
GEOLOGY. Page.
A Land of Farmers, Where Every Man Should Know Local Geology-The Forma- tions-The Valuable Chemung Rock-Etc. 19- 27
CHAPTER II.
INDIANS.
They are Fading Away-Petrified Intellectually-Coureurs des Bois-The Villages and Shacks in Bradford County-The Doors of the Six Nations-Moravian Missionaries-Trails-Polygamy-Cannibals-Canoes-Wards of the Nation- Treatment by the Government-Etc. 27- 39
CHAPTER III.
MISSIONARIES AND TRADERS.
The First White Men Here-Coureurs des Bois-Hunters-The Moravian Mission- aries-Etc. .39- 44
CHAPTER IV.
THE PIONEERS.
A Comparative Study-" The Simple Annals" of the World's Remarkable Men- The Hard Schools of Fate that Produced Thiem-The Silent Men of the Wilder- ness-Their Work-The Splendid Results and the Paucity of Resources at their Command-The Men Who Made Emigration a Science and Built an Empire Founded on the Bible-The Saxon and the Gaul-The Fur Trade-The Cour- eurs des Bois-Etc.
.44- 53
CHAPTER V.
EARLY SETTLERS.
To the Commencement of the Revolution-During the War the Country Aban- doned by the Whites-Marauding Indians-Fox and Shufelt, the First Set- tlers-List of Those Following Them-First of the Susquehanna Company- The First Discoverers Unknown-Appearance of the Country-A Boy and Leather Breeches-Etc .. 53- 69
vi
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VI. THE LOG CABIN.
The First Brush Cabins-The Improved Ones-Etc.
PAGE. 69- 79
CHAPTER VII.
THE REVOLUTION.
Mankind's First Attack upon King Fetich-War Meeting, 1774-Whigs and Tories- Three Companies Sent to the Field-Prominent Men-Rudolph Fox Captured- Battles in Bradford County-Wyoming Battle, and Near Wyalusing-Captives Escape-Sullivan's Expedition-Col. Franklin, Samuel Gore, Maj. Flower and Others-Etc. .79-111
CHAPTER VIII.
THE SEVENTEEN TOWNSHIPS.
John Winthrop, under Whom was the Beginning of Great Things-The First and the Second Pennamite and Yankee Wars-Attempt to Form a New State .. . . 111-148
CHAPTER IX.
GLEANINGS OF THE EARLY TIMES.
What the First Newspaper Tells Us-The Bradford Gazette-Much Real Early History Gleaned-Sparse in Editorials, but Rich in History-Every Item Inter- esting-Etc.
148-189
CHAPTER X.
PROGRESS IN CIVIL ORGANIZATION.
When this was Montgomery County, Connecticut-A Part of the Seventeen Town- ships-The Two Original Townships Along the River made Three, Four, Etc .- Bradford County Formed as Ontario County-Changed to Bradford-Its organ- ization and Civil Progress-Contestants for County Seat-Original Townships and Election Districts-Petitions for New County-To be called Hiram-Others wanted It called Loraine-Nonsense of Hunting for Indian Names for Places- A Possible Vision, Standing on Table Rock-Amusing Gerrymander-Etc. 189-204
CHAPTER XI.
ROADS.
Mail Routes and Postoffices-First Mails Carried on Foot as There were no Roads for Other Travel-First Mail Coaches by Conrad Teter-Navigating the Susque- hanna-Present Postoffices-The Old Berwick Toll Road-Etc. 207-219
CHAPTER XII.
WARS AND RUMORS.
The War Fever of 1799-War of 1812-15-Mexican War-Civil War 1861-65- Bradford's Part Therein-Companies and Regiments-Bounties Given by the County-Militia of 1862-Emergency Men, 1863. 220-249
vii
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XIII.
INTELLECTUAL PROORESS IN THE COUNTY.
Introductory-Republican-Federalists and Republican-Democrats-Politieal Ques- PAGE.
tions-Newspaper and Other Advancements-Miscellaneous. 249-271
CHAPTER XIV.
BRADFORD COUNTY CIVIL LIST.
Past and Present State Officials-Past and Present County Officials 271-280
CHAPTER XV.
POLITICAL.
First Meetings and Elections-Why Federalists-Jefferson and Hamilton-Land Question-First Two Voting Distriets-Federal and Whig Parties Overthrown- Old Labor Party-Lincoln, Douglas and Trumbull, an Episode-Election Returns to Date-Etc. 280-301
CHAPTER XVI.
EMINENT PEOPLE.
David Wilmot-Chief Justice Mercur-Paul Dudley Morrow-Burr Ridgeway- E. O'Meara Goodrich 302-317
CHAPTER XVII.
ATTORNEYS.
The First in the County-Story of A. C. Stewart-List, with Time of Coming- List of Present Attorneys-Ete 317-324
CHAPTER XVIII.
PHYSICIANS.
Early Practice of Medicine-The Old-Time Heroics -- The Ancient Hoodoo, Charms, Blood-Letting and Hot Water-Calomel and Salivation-License to Practice- Homeopathy-Medical Society-Present Officers-List of Registered Praeti- tioners-Ete 324-330
CHAPTER XIX.
NEWSPAPERS.
Introductory-The Argus-The Reporter-Journal-The Republican and other prominent Journals and Journalists in Bradford County. 330-340
CHAPTER X
SCHOOLS.
Some of the First-Academies-Hypatia-Miss Westover-Susquehanna Collegiate Institute-Public Schools Established-Number of Schools and Cost-Etc. 340-351
viii
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXI.
CHURCHES.
Baptists-Presbyterians-Methodists-Episcopalians-Disciple Church -- Universal-
PAGE. ists-Catholic and Other Churches in the County-Early Preachers, Etc .- Miscellaneous 351-366
CHAPTER XXII.
SOCIETIES.
Commencing Back in the Other Century-Rapid Increase in the Last Few Years --
Etc.
369-382
CHAPTER XXIII.
STATISTICS AND MISCELLANEA.
List of Taxables by Districts-Census Statistics Including Population-Miscella-
382-388 neous.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Albany Township.
388-389
CHAPTER XXV.
Armenia Township-Alba Borough
CHAPTER XXVI.
Asylum Township.
391-393
CHAPTER XXVII.
Athens Township-Athens, Sayre and South Waverly Boroughs. 394-431
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Barclay Township.
432-432
CHAPTER XXIX.
Burlington Township-Burlington Borough.
432-441
CHAPTER XXX.
Canton Township-Canton Borough
442-453
CHAPTER
XXI.
Columbia Township-Sylvania Borough.
453-459
CHAPTER XXXII.
Franklin Township.
459-460
Granville Township
CHAPTER XXXIII.
460-463
389-391
CONTENTS.
ix
CHAPTER XXXIV.
PAGE.
463-464
LeRoy Township
465-466
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Litchfield Township.
467-468
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Monroe Township-Monroe Borough
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Orwell Township.
473-478
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Overton Towuship
478-479
CHAPTER XL.
Pike Township-LeRaysville Borough
CHAPTER XLI.
482-483
Ridgebury Township.
CHAPTER XLII.
Rome Township-Rome Borough
CHAPTER XLIII.
Sheshequin Township
485-487
.
CHAPTER XLIV.
488-489
Smithfield Township.
CHAPTER XLV.
490-490
South Creek Township
CHAPTER XLVI.
.491-492
Springfield Township
CHAPTER XLVII.
495-495
Standing Stone Township.
CHAPTER XLVIII.
496-497
Terry Township
CHAPTER XLIX.
The Towandas-Townships and Boroughs. 497-531
Herrick Township
CHAPTER XXXV.
468-472
479-482
.483-485
x
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER L.
PAOE. 532-538
CHAPTER LI.
Tuscarora Township.
539-541
CHAPTER LII.
Ulster Township
541-544
CHAPTER LIII.
Warren Township
.. 544-546
CHAPTER LIV.
546-551
Wells Township.
CHAPTER LV.
.551-551
CHAPTER LVI.
.552-555
Wilmot Township
CHAPTER LVII.
Windham Township.
556-559
CHAPTER LVIII.
Wyalusing Township-Wyalusing Borough.
559-576
CHAPTER LIX.
Wysox Township
576-578
PART II.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
Biographical Sketches in Alphabetical Order. .581-1306
Troy Township-Troy Borough.
West Burlington Township
xi
CONTENTS.
.
MISCELLANEOUS.
PORTRAITS.
Ayres, E. J.
215
Moody, U
421
Avery, Cyrus .225
Nichols, J. W 457
Black, J. H.
.331
Noble, A. C ..
439
Bronson, S. N
349
Noble, George W
440
Bosworth, J. F
185
Overton, E
95
Bostwick, Dimon 155
Overton, Edward, Sr. 35
Peck, Benjamin M. 75
Colt, Rev. Samuel F., M. D 145
Pratt, D. S., M. D
55
Codding, John A. 115
Powell, Joseph. 105
Corss, Charles C.
205
Piollet, V. E
65
Craft, Rev. David .313
Russell, C. S .. 85
Culver, L. J 245
Shumway, William 295
Satterlee, J. F 175
Fell, U. M
.867
Gillette, John F
255
Shepard, S. W., M. D 166
Hull, Charles T. 385
Shepard, Silas E 165
Kilmer, George W 235
Spencer, E. C .493
Laning, Robert H 195
Taylor, L. D 275
Lyon, Samuel
475
Vandyke, G. H .265
Madill, H. J. 135
Varney, Ira
511
Morrow, P. D 45
Walker, Z. F.
285
Map of Bradford County
14 and 15
Index, Part I., History .. 1307-1311
Index, Part II., Biographies. .1311-1320
PAGE.
Chubbuck, O. J. 125
Detrick, Harrison .529
Squires, P. S. . 403
VS.R.R. 70
STATE
L. & W.
Po. SouthWaverly Wilawana
RIVERY
Athens
7 ..
Fassett
Ridgebury
Wells
SOUTH
CREEK
CREEK
WELLS
Toillett
.BentleyCreek
Green's Landing
L.
CREEK
Milar
T
„Edsalville
NORTHERWY
LEHIGH
Big Pond.
I
East Smithfield .
AL BIR
Springfield
BROWN
U Ister E
LEONARD
Wetona
Altus
Lecna
MILL
G
PISGAN
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-
Luther's Mills
T
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EastTroy-
West 'Burlington
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I
SUGAR
Mountain Lake
ZHighl
.
GRANVILLE
GranvilleSummit,
AND
Granville Centre
FRANKLIN Welst Franklin REEK
Franklindo
Y
LeRay
LongValley 1
LONG VALLEY
EasyCanton
Canton
CANTONI LEROY
Froot of Plane
Schrader Mines
OVERTO
CarbonRing
Graver
1
LYCOMING CO.
MAP OF
U
L
L
BRADFORD CO. S
PENN.
CHEMUNG
RESL. R.R.
SOUTH
. BENTLEY
SEELEL
- CR.
HEINS
A
T
RIDGEBURY
ULSA
SPRINGFIELD
SMITHFIELD
0
COLUMBIAA AustinvtHe
TOM JACK
CREEKT
Sylvania
CREEK
Burlington
CREEK
CREEK
A
THEAD WATERS OF CHEMIING RIVER
R
0
N
ARM
Alba
TOW. ANDA
WIE
Minnequa
: Barclay C U ANOIS TTIW 4 BARCLAY CREEK
BA
SCHRÆDER
BURLINGTON
BURLINGTON
ColumbiaX Rosa
SOUTH CREEK
Aspinwall.
Snedekerville
TOR K
dyre;
SENING
Windnaml
S
LITCHFIELD
WINDHAM
C
West Windham
WARREN West Warren Warten Centre · CREEK
C
SouthLitchfield
WEEK
Park'sCreek
NorthOrwell
ak
Sheshequin
ROME Worth Rome B
ORWELL
Rome
CREEK!
Neath
CREEK
JOHNSONS AllisHollow
Leraysville
R . R .
RIVER
PONDHILL LAKE
Herrickville,
R IKES
FOX
Mercur!
Brushville
Myersburgh !.
Birney
Wysolx
STANDING
TOWANDA
STONES
Stevensville
Standing
Coldcreek !!
Durell
Rummerfield Camptown
SING
Monroeton
SYLUM
WYALU
Merryatt
LibertyCorners
Asylum Homet's Ferry
WYALUSING
Spring Hill
LimeHill
Silvia:
MONROE
Marshvier
Terrytown
TUSCARORA
-
Wyalusing
CREEK
South Branch
CAROR
SugarRun
SUGAR
R
NewEra
TU
Evergreen
Elwell,
IBANY
NewAlbany
"Wilmot
R. R.
WILMOT
rton
Ladasburg
Sciotarale
VA
N
C 0.
SUSQUEHANNA
SouthHill-
HornBrook
WYSOX
Prattville
NORTH North Towanda TOWANDA
CREEK HERRICK .Herrick
ROCKWELL CR.
COLD CR.
TOWANDA land
RUMMER Ballibay
CREEK
Stone
ITTLE WYSOX CREER
---
ILLARD CREEK
·Black
ESHEQUIN
.South Warren
Orwelt
Ghent
Potterville
ITE LEHIGH VALLEY SUSQUEHANNA
hens
Litchfield
Windluun Summit
Windham Centre
Warrenhome/ .
Tuscaroravalley
TERR
1.
Browntown
R.R.
OF
SULLIVAN
AMONY MOL
SUGAR RUN CR.
-
SOUTH BR
STATE LINE
CREEK
WYOMING
-
ROSS CREEK
Macedon
.
PART I. HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY,
5
PENNSYLVANIA. 1
BRADFORD COUNTY.
CHAPTER I.
GEOLOGY.
A LAND OF FARMERS, WHERE EVERY MAN SHOULD KNOW LOCAL GEOLOGY-THE FORMATIONS-THE VALUABLE CHEMUNG ROCK-ETC.
B 2 RADFORD COUNTY is of itself a little agricultural empire; as beautiful as a painting in her landscapes, and is compara- tively rich in all those things that contribute toward the highest and best civilization. Within her borders are 59,095 people, and a larger part of the wealth of the population is in the 6,160 farms which they own and cultivate. Its location on the map, its soils and waters, have deter- mined its place as the favored home of the agriculturist. The num- bers of the farms indicate the distribution of these rich acres. There are no powerful land barons here with their swarms of attendant serfs and poverty. Her wealth is great, but it is distributed-the happiest possible condition for man. There is no great city within its borders -boroughs and villages only. Hence, instead of tenement houses, deep cellars, noisome purlieus that mar all great cities, here are small, neat, well-kept farms, clear skies, pure air, crystal waters, happy homes, universal plenty and content. Here are sweet valleys and the sun-kissed old hills-the sacred graves of the departed, the restful, happy trysting places of their children's children. The neat and well- built boroughs and villages are but quiet and orderly places of exchange in supplying the varied wants of a favored people. Here is every com- fort and every reasonable luxury side by side with generous industry and a healthy frugality. While an agricultural county, it is dotted here and there with its necessary mills and factories. Outside the borough of Towanda there are 330 manufactures, and in the county seat are the nail and iron works, the shoe factory, the toy works, Dayton's flouring mill, two foundries and machine shops, a furniture factory, and many small concerns, all contributing to not only the varied employments of the people, but their real and general comfort. A lovely and favored land, indeed! What a haven it presents for the worn and weary who have long struggled for life and air and sun- shine in the roar and filth of the world's great cities. The gaunt pau-
2
20
HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.
per, with outstretched hands, begging for bread or medicine, is not here, nor is the rich miser relentlessly coining his heaped-up gold of the tears and the groans of his unpitied victims. Remorseless greed, and that other monster in society, far worse than the miser's cruelest infliction, are practically strangers to the good people of Bradford county. Health, virtue, intelligence and happiness come best to the world amid just such conditions as these. Many a bright young man of the county, fired with ambition to quick wealth or fame, has left his old Bradford home and gone to the great city, and has either regretted the change all his life, or returned and never tired of telling of his joy and happiness in so doing. "Is life worth living?" is not a vexed question here-may it never come to a living soul.
The children of the land should be compelled to learn much of the geology of their particular sections. Here is the starting-point of practical knowledge-the powerful factor in good morals, good relig- ion and intelligence. The average of the schools are too much a mere struggle to advance the grades, heedless of the fundamentals of education ; of the starting-points in life, of the groundwork of all intelligence, and the thorough intrenching the child's mind in these. The rudiments of education should be as thorough as, in all true edu- cation, they are practical.
Any good farmer is a tolerably well-informed geologist. He will succeed in the business beyond his neighbors, much in proportion to his superiority in this respect. He has benefited by experience, and knows in that way the soil he cultivates. He knows certain ones, and comes to know that certain kinds of soils are best for certain kinds of growths. He can judge of almost any soil by its rocks and vegeta- ale growths. He has come to know the good corn land, wheat land, tobacco, potatoes, rice, cotton, flax, hemp, as well as the different fruits. His practical eye, in selecting his future farm-home, will see all these things as well as the waters and climate, that go to form the whole. The water and grasses will point him to the spot where the best animal life will grow. The fleet-footed thoroughbred horses are the effects of his intelligent experiments and observations-the splendid results of his self-education. He has learned there is more bread and butter in corn roots than in Greek roots. Nature's books are better and cheaper than those of the school-book syndicate-edited, written and bound by the hand of God, the rich inheritance of all men.
State Geologist James Macfarlane reports substantially of Bradford county: The surface rocks belong to only three of the geological for- mations, the Chemung, Catskill and Carboniferous. The last two of these are very extensive formations in Pennsylvania; the State geologists have subdivided them, and renamed them, and given them numbers to classify them. This simplifies and makes easy reference to these sub- divisions. The old mode was to classify these by their fossils, as all adjoining beds containing the same fossils belong to one and the same formation. By this arrangement Bradford county gives us the follow- ing table :
21
HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.
Pa. Nos. Pa. Names.
N. Y. Names.
XIII. Coal Measures.
Carboniferous.
XII Seral Conglomerate.
Carboniferous.
XI. Umbral Red Shale
Catskill Mauch Chunk, Red Shale of Lesley.
X. Vespertine.
Catskill, Pocono, Red Shale of Lesley.
IX. Ponent Red Sandstone Catskill.
VIII .. Vergent Alive Shale. Chemung group.
These are placed in the descending order, the coal measures being the highest and the Chemung rocks the lowest visible in the county.
The western part of the county, and the valley of Towanda and Wysox creeks, and in the lower part of the county the valleys of Tus- carora creek and Sugar run are covered with vergent or olive-colored shales (VIII), or what in New York is the Chemung group. The latter is the name in the text-books on geology. The general dip of this formation is toward the south and, therefore, in going north the lower rock formations make their appearance. Two great flexures in the strata penetrate the county, and are called coal basins because they contain coal. These run northeasterly through the county, and in the lines of these basins the highest rocks visible in the county are brought to view. Separating these two lines of basins are two lines of upheaval called anticlinals.
The Chemung rocks give out the best soils. Where these are the best agricultural lands are found, because it is of an earthy (argil- laceous) character, and contains less sand than the Ponent or Catskill (No. IX). The upper or shaley formation of this rock is about two thousand five hundred feet. These rocks are a vast succession of thin layers of shale, of a deep olive or greenish or light gray color, with thin layers of brownish gray and green and olive sandstone. These layers are so thin that it is difficult to find building stone. There is a great uniformity in all parts of this vast rock formation, and as you travel on the railroad from Wyoming Valley northward to the State line, and north or east or west, all over the southern part of New York, you will see the same Chemung group. The Erie Railroad and branches run on it three hundred miles. The cuts on the railroad and the hills show the same beds of this soft mud rock, with thin-bedded sandstones between.
A few miles west of Athens a conglomerate sandstone is found capping the hills. Once these were mistaken for the conglomerates underlying the coal, but it is now demonstrated that these beds of conglomerates are thousands of feet below the coal measures. This is the rock in which is found petroleum, both in New York and in Pennsylvania. It is full of vegetable fossils showing land-plants, which may be readily seen in much of the building-stone used in Towanda. These are the oldest evidences of terrestrial vegetation known. Specks of coal are found in. the rock. The evidences are many that the earth was preparing to deposit the coal beds when this rock was formed.
That the Chemung group comes more generally to the surface than in any other county of northern Pennsylvania, is the whole
22
HISTORY OF BRADFORD .COUNTY.
secret of it being the richest agricultural county of them all. This is the Bradford county farmer's bank that will always honor his checks from its inexhaustible deposits of wealth. Its cashier will not go Canada for his health. Twenty-five hundred feet deep extends the maiden gold awaiting to be refined by the thrifty farmer. The stranger coming into the county is amazed to see the farmers plowing on the steep hill-sides, where in ordinary soils the alluvial would all soon wash into the valleys below. When he understands the nature and value of the Chemung group, then he realizes that the peaks are here as rich in plant food as are the overflowed lands of the Nile, and the wash of the hills is simply going deeper and deeper in the mine of wealth; and this will continue until the hills become a broad level plateau.
Now, cross the county from west to east. On entering you pass through a district similar to the north half of the county, but between Troy and Burlington the high hills are covered with a different soil and a rock of a reddish color-the same that you will see on the high grounds from the railroad as you go between Troy and Alba, also in crossing on the common road the high hills between Towanda and Wyalusing. These red rocks are of the Catskill group.
Running from the southeast to the northwest through the county are two great basins with two upheavals of the rock formations between them, throwing them into a waving form. These waves are wide, and their slopes are gentle. They have little connection with the present surface, which was cut into valleys by other causes long after the rock strata assumed their present shape. The first basin of this rock formation is a prolongation of the Blossburg coal basin in Tioga county. At the mines at Morris run are to be seen in the gangways the strata of coal and rocks descending toward the run, and then rise on the other side in regular trough-like form .. All the strata of rock above the coal bed as well as below it, as far down as they can be examined, have the same flexure. Near Troy you will see the red rock formation, which lie below the coal making their appearance, all bent in the same manner as the coal bed, into a wide and trough-like form, and all gradually rising to the northeast.
This is sufficient of the geology to put our young people on further investigation-educating themselves into the true knowledge of their environment-nature's only way of not only teaching but creating.
Drainage .- The inclines that carry off the waters of a country are the water-sheds ; the deep-cut beds of the streams, worn low in the solid rocks, are its system of drainage. The clouds carry the waters to the mountain tops, and the rivers carry them back to the sea. The air and the water are the forces that are changing and building up in all its varied beauties of the earth's surface. The tides and the multi- tudinous sea waves are answered by the slow-moving, resistless gla- ciers that are the craftsmen fashioning the face of the earth and mak- ing for us our beautiful dwelling-places.
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