USA > Pennsylvania > Columbia County > A history of Columbia County, Pennsylvania. From the earliest times. > Part 12
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A. K. PECKHAM.
BY JAMES W. PIATT, ESQ.
AARON KINGSLEY PECKHAM was the second child of Kingsley Peckham and Hannah Retta Rounds and was born at Bristol, Bristol county, Rhode Island, October 15th, 1815. His father was a farmer and while residing in Rhode Island made a bare
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competence for himself and family. Learning of the cheapness and facility with which land could be acquired in Pennsylvania he left Rhode Island in the spring of 1829, and after a long and tedious journey fraught with the dangers, difficulties and discour- agements incident to the season and mode of travel, arrived and settled early in the spring, in Columbia, Bradford connty, Penn- sylvania. The expenses of the trip left his father little to begin with, but he went earnestly to work in the heavily timbered for- est, soon made a clearing and erected habitable buildings. At this time the subject of our sketch was fourteen years old, just the age when he should have been placed at school and had op- portunities for fitting himself better for his after work. He re- mained with his father until about the age of nineteen assisting in clearing, working the land and making improvements in spring, summer and fall, and attending the common schools of the neigh- borhood in the winter. He then procured a tract of land in Ar- menia township, Bradford county and went to work for himself. Not a tree had been cut upon this tract when he went upon it. He cut and cleared a number of fallows, set up a good sugar bush and made sugar several seasons. The land has now become a fine farm and is in the possession of Benjamin Knight. He re- mained there until the spring of 1838 when he rented a pail fac- tory of Samuel Myers and C. M. Manville near Towanda, Pa. It was shortly after he began manufacturing pails that he deter- mined to study law. He entered his name as a student with John C. Adams of the Towanda bar. He meanwhile carried on his business and in addition taught school winters. In 1842 he was admitted at Towanda as a member of the Bradford county bar. It was at this time that Wyoming county was separated from Luzerne county and he went to Tunkhannock to engage in. practice. He opened an office on Tioga street in a frame build- ing which was subsequently destroyed by fire and stood near Lo- beck's block. For about three years he practiced alone. Col. Elhanan Smith, now of the Towanda bar, went to Tunkhannock in 1845, when a law partnership was formed under the name of Peckham & Smith. This partnership continued about three years and was the only one formed by him during his whole legal practice. He immediately obtained a fair share of the business in the county and by his industry, application and perseverance
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worked his way into a good practice.
In 1860 the late Warren J. Woodward, the then Presiding Judge of the then 26th judicial district, comprising among others Wyoming county, was elected President Judge of the 23d judic- ial district and surrendered his commission as Presiding Judge of the 26th. Governor Andrew G. Curtin commissioned A. K. Peck- ham to fill the vacancy in the fall of 1861. In the fall of 1862, Judge Wm. Elwell, then a member of the Bradford county bar and now Presiding Judge of the 26th district, was nominated by the Democrats and concurred in by the Republicans. Judge Peckham declined to be a candidate. Upon December 1st 1862, his commission expired and he resumed his practice at Tunkhan- nock, continuing there until the time of his death, March 22d, 1865.
He married Jane A. P. Manville at Towanda, February 21st, 1845. She died at Tunkhannock the 5th day of July, 1855. By her he left one daughter, Mrs. N. P. Hicks, who now resides at Towanda, Pa. He married Jane E. Knowles at Chittenango, N. Y., November 24th, 1858. By her he left one daughter, Mary, who now resides with her mother at Chittenango, N. Y.
He was regarded as an enterprising citizen, a kind neighbor, a considerate husband and parent. I know of nothing more apt to say of him than that which is inscribed upon the monument over his grave at Tunkhannock.
"In life an upright citizen, devoted companion,' affectionate parent and faithful friend. Always firm and efficient in defence of justice, and hostile to all oppression and wrong. He being dead yet speaketh."
WILLIAM ELWELL.
WILLIAM ELWELL was born in Athens, Bradford county, Penn., October 9th, 1808. He received a good English education at the Athens academy. At the age of nineteen he was an assistant under Chief Engineer Randall in running exploring lines on both sides of the Susquehanna river for the location of a canal from the New York state line southward. After leaving the engineer corps he taught school for three years and then com- menced the study of the law in the office of Horace Willis-
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HON. WILLIAM ELWELL.
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ton, Esq. and was admitted to the Bar in February, 1833 For sixteen years he practised his profession as partner of his pre- ceptor, in the northern counties of the state, and until the ap- pointment of Mr. Williston as President Judge of the 13th Dis- trict.
He was a member of the Legislature in 1842 and 1843, and at, his first session at Harrisburg, was chairman of the Judiciary committee, among the members of which committee were men who afterwards attained great distinction, notably Judge Shars- wood, Judge Gamble, Judge Barrett, Hendrick B. Wright and Thaddeus Stevens, and of whom he was in every respect the equal. In 1843 he was chairman of the committee of ways and means. As chairman of the Judiciary Committee he prepared and report- ed the bill to abolish imprisonment for debt, whichi with a single change, stands now as originally reported.
In 1844 he declined being a candidate for Congress, preferring the practice of his profession to a political life; but in 1866 he re- luctantly yielded to the demands of his party (the Democratic), and accepted the nomination in the 13th Congressional District- He ran far ahead of his party vote, but did not overcome the Re- publican majority.
The Supreme Court Reports show the extent of his practice, containing as they do, over one hundred cases argucd by him.
In 1862 he was elected President Judge of the 26th Judicial District composed of the counties of Columbia, Sullivan and Wy- oming, no candidate being named against him; and upon the ex- piration of his term, in 1872, he was re-elected without a dissent- ing vote. In May 1874, Wyoming and Sullivan were created the 44th Judicial District, and Montour county was added to Colum- bia, the District still remaining the 26th. Upon his election in 1862, he removed to Bloomsburg, where he has ever since resided.
In April 1871, Judge Elwell was chosen umpire to settle the difficulties between the operators and the miners in the Anthracite coal regions, and his impartial judgment was accepted by all parties as a just and equitable solution of the troubles. He has been frequently urged to become a candidate for the Supreme Bench, and he has been voted for in convention for that place ; but he has uniformly declined to authorize a canvas in his favor, for the office, not deeming it consonant with judicial propriety. And
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for the same reason he has refused to allow his name to be can- vassed for the office of Governor of the Commonwealth, for which he has been frequently and warmly urged.
On the expiration of his second term as President Judge of the 26th District, the Bar of the District unanimously, and without distinction of party requested him to accept a third term, to which he consented ; and the political convention of the Democratic and Republican party respectively, following the lead of the Bar, nominated him to the office for the election of 1882. He was then again unanimously elected.
Judge Elwell is a member of the Episcopal Church, having been confirmed a few years since by Bishop Howe. He was ap- pointed on the Bi-Centennial committee by Gov. Hoyt in 1881, but his official duties prevented him from taking any active part. In 1868 he was elected a Trustee of the Bloomsburg State Normal School, and since 1873 he has been President of the Board of Trustees, and in the dark days of the school he did much in guid- ing it through to its present successful condition.
It is believed that Judge Elwell has held more special Courts than any Judge now upon the Bench. £ And in order to have the advantage of his legal learning and ability many important cases have been certified to Columbia county from other districts and tried before him.
Among the many notable cases which he has tried are the Williamsport Bond casc-Fisher against the City of Philadelphia -Tryon and Dull against Munson, and the celebrated Cameron Will case from Union county, each involving the rights of parties to the amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and in all of which his opinions were affirmed by the Supreme Court. On the appeal in the will case, after elaborate argument by eminent coun- sel for the appellant, the decision was affirmed, the Supreme Court adopting the opinion of the Court below as the opinion of that Court.
The Mollie Maguire case growing out of the murder of Alex- ander W. Rea, which was affirmed by the Supreme Court, of itself forms a large volume, and establishes many important ques- tions on the law of homicide, was tried before him.
Numerous cases in Equity in this and other counties have been
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heard and decided by him, and except in a single instance these decisions have been sustained on appeal.
His opinions which appear in the State Reports, in the Weekly Notes of Cases, and other legal publications, are considered as valuable additions to the legal literature of the time. It is wor- thy of mention that of all the cases in the Court of Oyer and Terminer, Quarter Sessions and Orphans' Court, not a single case from his district has been reversed during the twenty years he has been upon the bench.
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CHAPTER XVIII.
THE NORMAL SCHOOL.
W hile facts and circumstances are still fresh in the knowledge of citizens, it is well to put upon record what ought to be remembered, of the early history of "The Bloomsburg Literary Institute and State Normal School."
In the year 1856 the following named gentlemen, to-wit; A. J. Sloan, M. Coffman, E. Mendenhall, A. J. Evans, Wm. McKelvy, J. J. Brower, B. F. Hartman, S. H. Miller, J. M. Chamberlin, Philip Unangst, Jesse G. Clark, A. Witman, Michael Henderson, John G. Freeze, Levi L. Tate, Peter Billmeyer, M. C. Sloan, Jonathan Mosteller, Alexander J. Frick, E. B. Bidleman, Robert F. Clark, A. M. Rupert, R. B. Menagh, W. J. Bidleman, Robert Cathcart, A. C. Mensch, and H. C. Hower, associated themselves together "for the promotion of education both in the ordinary and higher branches of English literature and science, and in the ancient and modern languages," and therefore presented a petition to the Court, and at the September term, A. D. 1856, became and were a corporation under the name, style and title of "The Blooms- burg Literary Institute."
Under the articles of incorporation constituting the Charter, William Robison, Leonard B. Rupert, William Snyder, Elislia C. Barton, William Goodrich, D. J. Waller, Joseph Sharpless, John K. Grotz, and I. W. Hartman were made Trustees, to serve until the annual election provided for in the Charter. The min- utes of that Board of Trustees have never come into the hands of the writer, and neither the organization nor any of the proceed- ings are known. But a school of a high grade was promptly opened, and for some time kept in successful operation. It was held in a building located on the lot now owned and occupied by the Roman Catholic Church. The causes that eventually re- sulted in suspending operation need not be here detailed; but a
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considerable time elapsed between the closing of the school in the building mentioned, and its re-opening in what was known as the Old Academy Building. In the meantime the public schools had improved considerably, and a more general feeling for a higher educational training was developed. A number of young men were to be fitted for college, and though the standard rate of public school teachers was raised by the State, yet all the educa- tional interests of the county were in a most backward condition. None of the schools, either private or public, came near filling the public requirements, and it was the duty as well as the opportuni- ty of Bloomsburg to lead in a new, and lasting and magnificent educational enterprise.
In this conjuncture of affairs Mr. Henry Carver appeared in town and opened a classical school in the Old Academy on Third street. He was successful in his then undertaking and acquired in a large degree the confidence of our people. The first and best result of that feeling of confidence was the re-organization of the "Bloomsburg Literary Institute."
Pursuant to a notice given, the Trustees of the Bloomsburg Literary Institute met at the study of D. J. Waller on the evening of May 2nd, 1866; present D. J. Waller, William Snyder, J. K. Grotz, L. B. Rupert and I. W. Hartman. On motion of J. K. Grotz, D. J. Waller was elected president and I. W. Hartman secretary. The places of E. C. Barton, Wm. Robison and Wm. Goodrich were declared vacant, and John G. Freeze, Robert F. Clark and William Neal were elected to fill the vacancies.
At the next meeting, May 4th, the resignation of Joseph Sharp- less was accepted and Conrad Bittenbender was chosen to fill the vacancy. A committee of six was named to open books and take subscription to the stock of the corporation. A committee on location of the building was also chosen, and Wm. Neal was elected to be treasurer. At the next meeting, May 25th, Profes- sor Carver was elected principal of the contemplated school. A number of subscriptions to the stock having been obtained, the stock-holders met in the Grand Jury room, June 16, 1866, to lo- cate the school building. After some discussion the question was postponed, and the meeting adjourned to June 22nd. On assem- bling, pursuant to adjournment, propositions were received from William Snyder, Wm. B. Koons, M. S. Appelman, C. Barton &
III, III
STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, SIXTH DISTRICT, BLOOMSBURG, I'.A.
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Co. and D. J. Waller. On a vote being taken it resulted as fol- lows :
For Snyder's location 489 votes.
For Koons' 3 votes.
On the same day the Board of Trustees at a meeting resolved to accept William Snyder's proposition and adopted the location voted for by the stock-holders.
On the 29th of June the Board ordered that plans and specifi- cations be at once procured and a building be contracted for and put up at a cost not to exceed $15,000.00.
The resignations of Wm. Neal and J K. Grotz were tendered and accepted, and thereupon M. S. Appelman and Peter Billmeyer were elected to fill the vacancies. On the 12th of July Mr. Hart- man resigned, and F. C. Eyer was elected, in his place.
M. S. Appelman who was elected to fill the place of J. K. Grotz, not accepting, Mr. John Wolf was chosen. On the resignation of Wm. Neal, Wm. Snyder was elected Treasurer. The Snyder lo- cation having been accepted, a committee was appointed to select the site. On the 18th of July Mr. Waller offered a minority re_ port in favor of locating the school buildings on the north side of the extension of Main street, but Mr. Snyder declined to sell that and upon the acceptance of the present location, Mr. Waller re- signed from the committee, and on the 21st of July, from the Presidency of the Board and from the Board of Trustees; and subsequently Freas Brown was elected in his stead.
Hon. Leonard B. Rupert was elected President of the Board of Trustees in the place of Rev. Mr. Waller, resigned, and was an- nually re-elected until May 9, 1873, when Hon. William Elwell was elected and is still, 1882, the President.
During all this time the matter of subscriptions and building were pushed forward with considerable vigor. On the question of location, some difficulty was experienced. It was designed to locate the building north of the projection of Second street, but Mr, Snyder did not consent to the change. We all see now how great the advantage would have been. A committee waited upon him about the matter and after consultation with him, at a meet- ing on the 4th of August, 1866, it was
"RESOLVED, that in accepting the location offered by Mr. Snyder, the Board act in view of the assurance given to the public in con-
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nection with that offer, that the owners of the Forks Hotel will, at no distant day, remove that hotel, and open Main street directly to the front of the Institute grounds."
On such terms and conditions the grounds were accepted and the building erected.
On Thursday, April 4, 1867, The Bloomsburg Literary Insti- tute was opened and dedicated to the purposes of education. The day was warm and beautiful, and at one o'clock in the afternoon the Bloomsburg Brass Band headed the procession, marching from the Old Academy Building on Third street to the Institute. The Band was followed by the Board of Trustees, then by the Clergy, next the parents of the pupils, then the pupils, and lastly the Faculty. The procession passed up Third to Market, up Mark- et to Second and up Second to the Institute. On arriving at the door Judge Rupert, President of the Board, unlocked it, the Band fell back and escorted the Faculty and pupils, who entered first, followed by the parents and Trustees. The Hall of the In- stitute was filled by the citizens and friends of the School in at- tendance at the inauguration.
After music by the band, prayer was offered by the Rev. D. J. Waller, a song, "Welcome Chorus," given by the glee club, after which Hon. L. B. Rupert, President of the Board of Trustees made a report of the inception and progress of the work. The dedicatory address was made by Prof. Moss of Lewisburg. The following named pupils took part in the exercises : Misses Brower, Pursel, Hendershott, Bittenbender, Rupert, John, Lowenberg, Harman, VanBuskirk, Abbot, Tustin, Mckinney, Williams, Ster- ner, Torbet, Correll, Edgar, Dereamer, Caslow, Robbins, Lutz, Armstrong, Buckingham, and Elwell; and by Masters Waller, Little, W. H. Clark, Snyder, Buckalew, Billmeyer, Funk, Hender- shott, G. E. Elwell, J. M. Clark, Bittenbender, Neal, Schuyler, Woods, and Unangst.
At the close of the afternoon exercises, Mr. E. R. Ikeler, on be- half of the teachers of Columbia county, with an appropriate speech, presented Prof. Carver with an album, containing por- traits of the donors, as a testimonial of their respect. It was re- ceived by the Prof. who returned his acknowledgements in a few well chosen sentences, and after a song by a class of the pupils, the audience was dismissed.
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In the evening the large hall of the Institute was filled with a gratified and appreciative audience, and the exercises began with a prayer by Rev. J. R. Dimm. A song was then given by the glee club. At the request of the Board of Trustees, Judge Elwell then delivered an admirable address, in brief reciting the history of the Institute, and urging the friends of education to push on the work, and complete the building, beautify the grounds, pro- vide a library and necessary apparatus, and assuring them that thus they were affording to their children means for an ample ed- ucation, and bestowing upon them a legacy which would be for- ever a blessing.
The evening exercises were engaged in by the following : Misses L. E. John, Appleman, M. John, Elwell, Lutz, Sharpless, Bittenbender, Clark, Edgar, Caslow, Irving, Mckinney, M. E. Sharpless, Armstrong, Pursel, Brower, Rupert, Ager and Robbins; and Masters J M. Clark, Bomboy, Hartman, Neal, G. A. Clark, Pursel, Billmeyer, Pardee, Turnbach, Smith, B. Pardee, G. P. Waller, Irving, Swisher, Rupert, Schuyler, L. Rutter, Sloan, Mor- ris, Lutz, McKelvy, Buckalew, Mendenhall, Bittenbender, L. Wal- ler, H. Rutter, Dillon, Funk, Thomas, Evans, Edgar, Appleman, Girton, E. Rutter, Woods, G. McKelvy, Van Buskirk, Hender- shott, J. K. Morris, jr., Melick, D. J Waller, jr., Little, Unangst, T. F. Connor and G. E. Elwell.
Looking back now upon that occasion, important as it seemed at the time ; it is doubtful if any one realized all that it has accom- plislied for the Town, and will yet accomplish. All its influences have been for good, and must continue so to be. It has brought many strangers to our town-it has been a means of education to many here who could not have gone elsewhere-all its surround- ing influences and teachings arc of the pleasantest kind.
On the 4th of May 1867, the stockholders of the Bloomsburg Literary Institute met and elected the following Board of Trus- tees :
For one year, Robert F. Clark, Peter Billmyer, F. C. Eyer. For two years, J. G. Freeze, L. B. Rupert, Wm. Snyder.
For three years, John Wolf. C. Bittenbender, J. P. Connor.
On the 25th of October, 1867, Mi. E. Mendenhall was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Wm. Snyder.
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During the year 1867, a fine bell weighing 2171 pounds was placed in the cupola of the school, at a cost of about $1,200. The money was raised by subscription through the efforts of D. J. Waller Jr., Geo. E. Elwell and Charles Unangst, who were then pupils in the school.
And here we may pause for a moment in the history of this great educational enterprise. Contrary to the expectations even of friends, in spite of the sneers and opposition of the indifferent and close-fisted and narrow-minded, the building and school were a proud success. As it stood there in its solitary grandeur upon the hill, the Board of Trustees could look upon the work with satisfaction and gratification. Undeniedly it increased the value of all the property in Bloomsburg; it increased the attractions of the town as a place of residence; it cheapened the cost of the nec- essary preparation of boys and girls for the active duties of life; it raised the true reputation of Bloomsburg among the surround- ing counties, and even beyond the State lines the rumors of us ex- tended, and pupils came thence among us. The liberal and large hearted man rejoiced in the good he had accomplished, and knew it was a monument to his labor and perseverance more last- ing than brass. One after another the faint-hearted became foot- sore, and weary ; but as they fell out of the ranks their places were tilled by others, and when at the end of the first year a Board came to be elected, it appeared that but four of those whose names appeared among the first roll call, had struggled on togeth- er to the end. It had been a struggle, such as they only who had gone through it, could appreciate. Amid so many discourage- ments they were surprised at their own success, but having suc- ceeded it is but right to say that a very large majority of the citi- zens of Bloomsburg gave substantial support to the enterprise.
In the meantime the year 1867 was passing away, the school was attracting attention, the building was large and conspicuous, and our citizens began to awaken to its importance. Mr. Wicker- sham, the State Superintendent of Public Schools, had heard of us, and seeing what we had already accomplished, suggested the erection of additional buildings and the organization of a State Normal School, to be run in connection with the Literary Insti- tute. Discussion on the subject was general and warm, and on the 9th of March 1868, the Board "Resolved that the Trustees of
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the Bloomsburg Literary Institute agrce to establish in connection with the same, a State Normal School under the Act of Assembly of the 2nd of May, 1857, and to procure the grounds and put up the necessary buildings as soon as the sum of seventy thousand dollars is subscribed by responsible persons, agreeably to the fore- going propositions."
In pursuance thereof, at that and subsequent meetings, cominit- tees on plans, specifications and subscriptions, were appointed and proceeded to the discharge of their duties.
On the 18th of April, 1868, a public meeting was held in the Recorder's office to consider "the subject of a Normal School to be located at Bloomsburg." The Rev. Mr. Waller was called to the chair, and Capt. Brockway was chosen Secretary. Mr. Neal stated the object of the meeting. After a very free and spirited discussion, the following resolutions were moved and carried :
"That the Trustees of the Bloomsburg Literary Institute be earnestly requested to purchase the necessary grounds and proceed to make an agreement to carry forward the enterprise of erecting the building required.
That the plans submitted by Prof. Carver be recommended to the trustees for adoption.
That it be recommended to let the building to Prof. Carver at his estimate of $36,000."
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