USA > Pennsylvania > A gazetteer of the state of Pennsylvania : a part first, contains a general description of the state, its situation and extent, general geological construction, canals, and rail-roads, bridges, revenue, expenditures, public debt, &c. &c. ; part second, embraces ample descriptions of its counties, towns, cities, villages, mountains, lakes, rivers, creeks, &c. alphabetically arranged > Part 76
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finds ample and delightful employment. There is a cataract on the Starucca creek with a fall of between 40 and 50 feet.
The agricultural productions are the ordinary kinds of grain of the more southern counties. But there is much variety in the adaptation of the soil to them. Wheat, rye and barley have been cultivated with success, although neither the soil nor climate are very congenial with either. Rye and oats produce abundant and excellent crops, the latter frequently weighing from 35 to 40 lbs. the bushel-and buck- wheat grows uncommonly well. The summers are too short and cold for the most successful culture of Indian corn. The greatest obstacle to the culture of grain is the luxuriance of the natural grasses. The red top or herds-grass and white clover grow spontaneously and abundantly, in the richest land; and large tracts that have never been ploughed, will yield a heavy swath of these grasses. The winter grain is sown usually in Octo- ber. Oats about the first of May. Barley from the 15th of that month to the 1st of June, and Indian corn also about the 1st of June. Grass is com- monly cut during the month of July ; wheat about the 1st of August ; oats and barley a month later.
The spring here is much later than in the southern counties. Rigorous winter continues until the last of April. About the first of May vegetation springs into life and advances with sin- gular rapidity. From tables kept in the higher parts of the county the mercu- ry ranges about 10 of Fahrenheit low- er than in the country around Philadel- phia. This is doubtless caused by the greater altitude of the country, which in many instances is from 1500 to 2000 feet above the tide ; and this cir- cumstance probably contributes to the remarkable healthiness of the inhabit- ants; no epidemics are known here, and autumnal fevers are eradicated by a summer residence.
There are several turnpike roads in the county ; the Belmont and Oquago
road crosses N. W. through Jackson and Harmony t-ships ; the Coshocton and Great Bend through Gibson, Jack- son, New Milford, and Great Bend t-ships ; the Milford and Owego run- ning from Milford on the Delaware to Owego on the Susquehannah, crosses the county diagonally and centrally by Montrose ; the Bridgewater and Wilkesbarre ; the Clifford and Wilkes- barre: the New Milford and Mon- trose ; the Philadelphia and Great Bend ; and the Abington and Water- ford, are, we believe, already made ; and the Milford and Owego, and the Dundaff and Honesdale roads are au- thorized by the legislature to be con- structed.
The towns are Montrose, the st. jus. Dundaff, Friendsville, Great Bend, Harmony, Springville, Fairdale, New Milford, &c.
The population of the county is composed chiefly of emigrants from the New England states and their de- scendants, and amounted in 1820 to 9,960, and in 1830 16,785, of whom 8,429 were white males, 8,283 white females, 34 free black males, 39 free black females. Of these, 221 were al- iens,6 were deaf and dumb,and 6 blind. The exports of the county consist of live stock, lumber, wheat, rye, oats and Indian corn.
The public buildings consist of the court house, public offices, and prison at Montrose, a banking house at that town and another at Dundaff, (the banks, however,are extinct,) and 12 or 15 churches belonging toEpiscopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists and Baptists.
There is an academy at Montrose, incorporated in 1816, to which the le- gislature gave a donation of $2000, and a boarding school for females at the Great Bend village. Private schools at which the rudiments of an English education are taught, are established in every neighborhood. There is a pub- lic library at Montrose, and two week. ly newspaper's are published there, viz. the Susquehannah Register, and Independent Volunteer; and 1 at Dun- daff, called the Dundaff Republican.
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By the assessment of 1829, the tax- able real property of the co. was val- ued at $903,375, viz. seated lands at $646,299 ; unseated lands at $257, 076 ; personal property, including occupations,$91,090 ; improved lands of good quality sell at 12 dollars the acre, unimproved at 3 dollars.
This county paid into the state treasury in 1831,
For tax on writs, 262 50
Tavern licenses, 232 01
Duties on dealers in for-
eign mdz. 301 18
Tin and clock pedlars' li-
censes,
57
$852 69
At Dundaff is an extensive glass manufactory, where during the week ending 14 Nov. 1831,there were made 15,550 feet or 380 boxes of window glass, 8 by 10.
STATISTICAL TABLE OF SUSQUEIIANNAH COUNTY.
Townships, &c.
btla.
in acs.
Area | Population. |Tax- 1820.|1830.
ables
Auburn,
8
6
30,720
218
516
65
Bridgewater,
10
8 1-9 47,360 1,994
2,450
381
Brooklyn,
11
5
26,880
880
1,350
187
Clifford,
8
5
25,600
681
866
167
Choconut,
8
6
30,720
508
780
130
Dundaff,
298
Gibson,
6
3 1-2 19,560
914
1,081
196
Great Bend,
6
6
23,040
527
797
114
Harford,
6 1-2 5 1-2 22,880
642
999
173
Herrick,
6
3 1-2 19,560
468
88
Harmony,
8
6
30,720
173
341
53
Jackson,
18
16 1-2 32,000
265
641
101
Lawsville,
8
6
30,720
473
873
129
Lennox,
8
6
30,720
214
546
74
Middleton,
9
6
34,560
547
683
114
Milford, New,
7 1-2 6 1-2 30,240
614
1,600
152
Montrose bor. Rush,
9
6
34,560
242
643
102
Silver Lake,
9
5
28,800
456
516
81
Springville,
8
7
35,840
702
1,514
213
790
Total,
19,960 |16,777 2,594
Susquehannah, t-ship, Dauphin co., bounded N. by Middle Paxton, S. by Swatara, E. by Lower Paxton t-ships, and W. by the Susquehannah r. Greatest length 7, breadth 6 miles ; area, 12,800 acres; surface, gentle declivities ; soil, alluvion and gravel. Pop. 1830, 1451 ; taxables, 232, ex- clusive of the borough of Harrisburg. The Blue mtn. crosses the north part of the t-ship, and the ancient r. bank has a notable elevation above the pre-
sent shore. Paxton creek enters the t-ship near about the middle of the E. [line, and flows S. through it, nearly parallel with the r. Harrisburg lies partly within the precincts of the t- ship.
Susquehannah, t-ship, Cambria co., lately taken from Alleheny t-ship, is bounded N. by Clearfield co., E. by Clearfield and Allegheny t-ships, S. by Cambria t-ship, and W. by India- na co. Surface, rolling ; soil, clay and loam. Pop. 1830, 722; taxa- bles, 118 ; value of taxable property in 1829, seated lands, $23,741; un- seated lands, $24,733 ; personal est., $4070 ; rate of levy, 8} mills.
Susquehannah river, is emphatical- ly the river of Pennsylvania. Two of its main branches, the West and the Juniata, rise and have their whole courses within her territory, and the third or N. E. branch, with the great stem, reach 250 ms. in length through the state. And it is the primitive and imperative duty of the commonwealth, to gain and to preserve for her exclu- sive use, the commerce of the country washed by this r., exceeding 22,000 square ms. in extent ; abounding in mineral and agricultural wealth, and destined to become the home of mil- lions of intelligent beings. The north eastern or greatest branch of this r., rises in the northern ridge of the Cats- bergs, from the Otsego lake, in the angle between the heads of the Co. quago branch of the Delaware & Che- nango rivers, and opposite to the Mo- hawk r., and reaching within 10 ms. of the great canal of N. Y. It flows thence a southwesterly course of some 45 ms., receiving the Unadilla and other accessions in its way into Pa., in Susquehannah co., and Harmony t-ship; thence by the E. and S. sides of the Oquago mtn. it returns to the state of N. Y., and at the village of Binghampton, receives the Chenango r., about 12 ms. by the r. below the Pa. line. The Chenango r. has its extreme northern sources in Madison co., and in the S. E. angle of Oneida co., within 16 ms. of the Oneida lake,
415
84
Waterford,
Greatest 1th.
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and 15 from the angle of the great ea- ||600 arks and rafts descend the r. nal, and in the angle between the from the village of Binghampton and the towns above Unadilla, Bainbridge, Guilford, Greene, &c. sources of the Mohawk and Seneca rivers ; from Binghampton the r. pur- sues a course a little S. of W. for about 25 ms. to Owego, where it re- ceives the Owego r. ; thenee by a S. W. course of 8 miles, it re-enters Pa. in Athens t-ship, Bradford co .; and about 7 ms. below the state line, unites with the Chemung, as it is eall- ed in N. York, or the Tioga r., as it is commonly termed in Pa.
'The two great northern constitu- ents of the Susquehannah enclose the long and navigable lakes, Seneca and Cayuga ; the former of which stretch- es in almost a direct line from the great canal to the mouth of Newtown creek, about 20 ms. by comparative courses from Tioga point ; and the lat- ter stretches also from the line of the great canal to within 30 ms. of the Susquehannah at the mouth of the Owego. These lakes have respect- ively a length of more than 40 miles, and form the most admirable and di- rect channels for connecting the ba- sin of the Susquehannah with lake Ontario.
The Susquehannah and its tributa- ries, even N. of the Penn. state, are highly important in a commercial point of view, for the transportation to market, of the lumber, plaster, salt, wheat, pork, whiskey, and other agri- cultural products of the southwestern part of New York, a distriet now con- taining near 250,000 inhabitants. From an estimate of the delegates to a convention held in January, 1831, to consider the grievances said to re- sult from the dams made in the lower part of the r., by the Pennsylvania canal commissioners, it appears that 73,000 bushels of wheat, 15,000,000 feet of lumber, besides a large amount of other products, have descended the Chemung from Elmira and the adja- cent towns annually. That upon the Susquehannah, the village of Owego alone sends 10,000 barrels of salt, 4000 tons of plaster, 10,000 bushels of wheat, &c .; and that more than
Ithaca is 29 ms. from Owego, and between these places a rail road is contemplated, for which a company has been incorporated. The Che- mung canal terminates at Newtown or Elmira, and the Chemung river will conneet this canal with that pro- posed by Pennsylvania. On the Sen- eca lake a steamboat plies between the village of Havana at the south end, and that of Geneva, in Ontario co., at the north. This lake is about 45 miles long, studded on both sides with villages. The country between it and Seneca lake is not surpassed by any in the state of N. Y. It is re- presented as a perfect garden, whose rich and abundant produce would reach Philadelphia by the Chemung canal. From Geneva, the Seneca canal, 20 miles long, sets forth and intersects the Cayuga lake and Erie canal, at Montezuma.
From Tioga point, four miles south of the line of the state, the Susquehan- nah flows by comparative courses 60 miles to the mouth of the Lackawan- nock creek in the centre of Luzerne co., at the head of the Wyoming val- ley, having crossed nearly at right angles, several ridges, including the main one of the Apalachian chain. Turning now at right angles, the magnificent stream flows down the Wyoming valley, which it leaves at the Nanticoke falls, where the highest dam of the canal navigation has been erected. A few miles below this point the Nescopeek creek enters the river, by which it is proposed to con- nect, with a canal, the waters of the Susquehannah with the Lehigh and Delaware rivers. From the Nanti- coke dam to Northumberland, the distanee is somewhat less than 60 ms., and the North Branch canal, which follows the right bank of the r. is 55} ms. in length. Immediately below Northumberland the west branch of the Susquehannah unites with the N.
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eastern branch, and a dam has been thrown across the r. here 92 feet high, and 2783 feet long, with a chute for the passage of rafts and arks 62 feet wide and 650 feet long.
The west branch of the Susque- hannah rises in Cambria co., within the Appalachian valley and in the secondary formation. It pursues a N. E. course through Clearfield co., receiving Clearfield creek, and Mu- shanon creek from the south, and the Sinnemahoning and Kettle creeks, and some less streams from the north. Having penetrated deep into Lycom- ing county it turns to the S. E. and E., and receiving from the N. Pine, Lycoming, Loyalsock and Muncy creeks, and from Centre co. on the south, the Bald Eagle creek, all large streams, it bends south through the main ridge of the Allegheny, and con- tinues that course to its union with the N. E. branch at Northumberland, having a comparative course of about 175 ms. A canal ascends the W. branch from Northumberland to the Muncy dam at the Muncy hills, 24} miles, and thence 14 ms. to the Big Island, opposite to the mouth of the Bald Eagle creek ; thus affording im- proved means of transportation for the coal and iron of Lycoming, and the iron of Centre counties.
From the mouth of the W. branch, the united streams pursue a general direction a little W. of S. about 40 ins. ; and the canal keeps the western bank to Duncan's island, where it crosses the r. by a dam and towing bridge into Dauphin co.
The Juniata r. (for a particular de- scription of which see that article,) is a mountain stream which has its whole course upon the central transition for- mation, nearly from W. to E. cross- ing the Appalachian ridges in several places. The canal communicating by means of a rail road portage over the back bone of the Allegheny mtns. with the Allegheny r., pursues the valley of the Juniata.
Below the mouth of the Juniata, the Susquehannah pursues a S. E. direc.
tion for 80 ms., by comparative cour- ses, and being precipitated from the primitive on to the sea sand formation, loses its name and river character in the Chesapeake bay. In this distance it passes through three mtn. ranges, the Kittatinny above, the South mtn. below Harrisburg, and what Mr. Dar- by calls the South East mtn. below the mouth of the Conestoga creck. The canal pursues the eastern bank 24 ms. to Middletown, at the mouth of the Swatara creek, and thence to the borough of Columbia, 18 ms. From this borough the rail road to Phil. dis- tant 81 ms. is now being made.
Considered geographically, the wa- ters of the Susquehannnah form links which connect the river with those of the great lakes and the St. Law- rence, and with those of the Ohio and Mississippi, and by itself it affords an outlet to the ocean for the products of a very extensive and varied region. Considered geologically, we find in its basin all the formations of the earth, from the highest class of primitive rocks to the most recent alluvion, up- on the most extensive scale. And it is remarkable that the courses and fitness for navigation appear to be altogether independent of the rock formation ; and that the mountains, though causing some sinuosities in the streams, have no influence upon their general course ; that the rivers break through the hills and the rocks, almost at right angles on their way to the ocean.
The course of the north and west branches of the Susquehannalı front their sources to their point of union, present scarce any difficulty in des- cending navigation ; when the waters are high, there being few and incon- siderable falls or rapids. Below Northumberland, however, Mckees half falls, Foster's falls, Hunter's falls and Brushy rock ; and below Middle- town the Swatara falls, the Great Conewago falls, Halderman's ripples and the Spinning Wheel; below Co- lumbia for 20 ms., a succession of rap- ids and rocky obstructions render the navigation extremely perilous.
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A view of the actual state of the r., for commercial purposes, before the commencement of the Pennsylvania system of internal improvements, and of the extent and value of the produc- tions of the Susquehannah valley, may serve to justify the policy of the state to those who, feeling the pressure of a light but new weight in taxation, and seeing only the error resulting from the inexperience and incompetence of the agents employed, are disposed in- considerately to reprobate the enter- prise. For much of the matter of this exposition, we are indebted to an arti- cle written in 1827, by David Scott, Esq., president judge of the 11th judi- cial district, and late president of the board of canal commissioners. He
remarks,
" To the territory drained by this noble river, within the states of Penn. and N. Y., containing above 20,000 square miles, and a population of more than half a million, nature has pointed out the valley of the Susquehannah as the great high way to market."
" The Susquehannah is regarded as a navigable river. It is so in a limit- ed sense. Viewed in its whole ex- tent, in connection with its great branches, its ascending navigation is extremely limited and difficult. Its descending navigation is uncertain and of short duration, and both are at all times hazardous. A voyage across the Atlantic does not involve so much danger to life and property, as the na- vigation of the river from Newtown, in the state of N. Y., to the head of tide. It is believed that the difficul- ties, delays, dangers, and losses which at present attend the navigation of this river, are little known and less understood, except by those interested in the river trade."
" Since the opening of the Erie ca- nal and the construction of turnpike roads from the Susquehannah to the valley of the Delaware, the Hudson and the lakes, boats on the Susque- hannah, for the transportation of the ascending trade, have gradually dis- appeared, until not a single one is
found plying on the river above North- umberland. Merchandize can be transported, by wagons, from the city of Phila. the city of N. York, and the heads of the Seneca and Cayuga lakes, with more expedition, at less expense and less hazard, than by the river."
" The descending navigation of the Susquehannah is uncertain, of short duration, and at all times dangerous. Property can only be floated down in the time of high floods, which seldom occur except at the breaking up of the ice and the melting of the snow in the spring season. During these floods the river is not navigated with any de- gree of safety or success, if at all, for more than a week or ten days. The consequence is, that the whole trade of the Susquehannah descends at nearly the same time; the markets, which are at all times very uncertain, in the towns and villages along the river, are overstocked ; the owners have incur- red expenses which they cannot meet without sales, and they are frequently obliged to sell at a ruinous sacrifice."
" It sometimes happens that there is no spring flood, sufficient for the de- scending trade. When this is the case, great losses are sustained by the owners, not only in consequence of the embarrassments incident to disappoint- ments and failure of market, but also on account of the deterioration, if not the entire destruction, of many articles by the keeping. A summer flood af- ter the failure of the spring flood gen- erally proves ruinous. Being disap- pointed, and having property on hand, the owners embark it upon the sum- mer flood. The water evaporates, the river falls, and with it all their hopes, before they reach a market. Indeed, very little property ever reached its intended destination by a summer flood."
" Round and square timber, scant- ling boards and plank, are floated down in rafts. All other articles are floated down in arks, which, although they carry from 40 to 50 tons each, are very frail vessels, and are liable to many destructive accidents."
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" The loss occasioned by accidents incident to river navigation, exposure to the weather, &c. is estimated at 5 per cent upon the gross amount of cx- ports."
" The whole amount of property which descended the river last year, was estimated at four millions and a half. The tonnage required for the transportation of those articles which could not be floated in rafts, must have amounted to more than 100,000 tons. 1500 arks arrived at Port Deposit, and it is known that there were many, and it is fair to presume that at least 500, found a market for their lading at the towns and villages along the r. above that place."
" Estimating the loss incident to ri- ver navigation at 5 per cent, which is certainly very low, and the amount of exports at four and a half millions, the gross amount of loss annually sustain- ed would be 225,000 dollars. Besides this there is, (and must always con- tinue to be, whatever improvements may be made in the descending navi- gation,) an enormous sacrifice in the item of arks. An ark of sufficient ca- pacity to carry 40 or 50 tons, will cost at least 65 dollars. It can never re- ascend the river, and consequently must be sold for any price which can be obtained for it. The average price of an ark at the place of destination is 15 dollars. The loss then upon 2000 arks, the estimated number which de- scended the river last year, and which is annually increasing, will amount to 100,000 dollars, which, added to the estimated loss by accidents, &c. make the enormous sum of 325,000 dollars -- a sum, it is believed, equal to the interest on the capital necessary for canalling the Susquehannah from the New York to the Maryland line. The whole of this sum, and other items of considerable magnitude, would be sav- ed to the individuals interested, and consequently serve to increase the ag. gregate wealth of the state by a canal navigation. The expenses of naviga- ting an ark of the common capacity, (40 or 50 tons,) from the Wyoming
valley to the head of tide, amount to 120 dollars. The transportation of the same tonnage by canal boats, it is believed, would greatly diminish this item of expenditure."
." The country above the Wyoming valley is supplied with merchandize from the city of New York. The sur- plus products are floated down the ri- ver, sold, and the proceeds taken in cash by the merchants to New York, and there laid out in goods, which are transported by water to some point on the Hudson ; or by the Erie canal to the head of the Seneca or Cayuga lake; and thence by wagons to the valley of the Susquehannah. Indeed a considerable portion of the merchan- dize at this time vended in Luzerne co. is purchased in New York, and thence transported in wagons-the dif. ference in the distance between Wil- kesbarre and Phil. and Wilkesbarre and N. Y. being very trifling. When a canal shall have been constructed along the valley of the Susquehannah fron the northern boundary of the state to intersect the Pennsylvania canal, the whole country above that point will be supplied with merchandize from the city of Philadelphia and most of the produce of the country will find its way there to market. Until this is done Philadelphia can never enjoy the trade of the Susquehannah. . Ilence to the interest of the state in general and of Philadelphia in particular, the neces- sity and importance of this great im- provement."
" Of the 2 thousand arks which de- scended the Susquehannah last year, at least 1500 must have received their lading above Harrisburg. The lum- ber which annually descends the riv- er is estimated at 175 millions of feet, the whole or nearly the whole of which comes also from the country above Ilarrisburg. As before stated, the whole of this property nearly, in ordinary seasons, and in the present state of the river navigation, must ar- rive in the course of a week or ten days ; and when arrived at this point the principal part of the expenses will
31
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have been incurred; and the flood | phia, but a canal from the northern having borne it thus far, will quickly bear it further and with trifling ad- ditional expense. Under these cir- cumstances it never can be expected that the trade of the Susquehannah will stop at any point where the Pennsyl- vania canal shall intersect that river ; that the owners will unload, store and reload, and incur all the expense, vex- ation and delay, incident to a tran- shipment to Philadelphia by the Union or any other canal connecting the Susquehannah and the Schuylkill or Delaware rivers."
" If there was a safe and easy as- cending and descending navigation by canal along the valley of the Susque- hannah, the products of the country would not be hurried to market in the course of a few days, in time of a high flood, in craft of unwieldy size and frail structure ; but the season would be occupied in their transportation in boats which would pass through the Pennsylvania canal to Philadelphia ; losses by accident or exposure would seldom or never occur; an immense saving would be made in the item of orks ; the trade would annually and rapidly increase ; the extensive forest of wild lands upon our northern border would be immediately settled and im- proved ; towns, villages and manufac- tories would spring up along the line; an impulse would be given to industry and enterprize, the market would soon assume a fixed character ; and it is be- lieved that the whole country drained by the Susquehannah and its tributa- ries, above its intersection with the Pennsylvania canal, would be supplied with merchandize from Philadelphia."
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