USA > Pennsylvania > Columbia County > A history of Columbia County, Pennsylvania. From the earliest times. > Part 4
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.
CHAPTER IV
INDIAN PURCHASES.
T THERE were various attempts, more or less successful and more or less honest, to divest the title of the Indians to the soil of the State of Pennsylvania. The first purchase was in July, 1681, and the last, under the proprietaries, at Fort Stanwix, on the site of the present town of Rome, on the Erie canal, in the State of New York, in 1768. The final purchase of lands within the charter bounds was made by and in the name of the Commonwealth, at Fort McIntosh, now Beaver, in October, 1784. There were repeated and persistent allegations of fraud and forgery made by the Indians, and some of them were apparently well founded.
A general discussion relating to all the matters in dispute was had at the council at Easton in July and August, 1756, when and where the Governor, Hon. William Denny, and four members of his council and about forty citizens of Philadelphia met Teedyus- cung, the Delaware chief, king of the Lenapi and Wanami, two Delaware tribes, and of the Monseys and Mohickons. At an ad- journed council at the same place in November, 1756, the same subject was brought up, and when the Governor asked the chief- tain to state his grievances, the Delaware said: "This ground that is under me, (stamping with his foot,) is mine and has been taken from me by fraud and forgery," and he proceeded to ex- plain and insist upon his view and construction of the treaties and deeds of conveyance. At a subsequent council at Easton in July, 1757, between the same principal parties, the same charges were made and pressed home. Again at Easton,in October, 1758, a deed was executed releasing to the Indians a large amount of the territory embraced in that of July, 1754 ; but the whole diffi- culty was not settled, and it was up again in 1761.
At the council in July, 1757, at Easton, Teedyuscung discus-
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.
sing the question of unsold lands, said, among other things ; "As we intend to settle at Wyomen, we want to have certain bounda- ries fixed between you and us, and a certain tract of land fixed, which it shall not be lawful for us or our children ever to sell, nor for you or any of your children ever to buy. We would have the boundaries fixed all around agreeable to the dranght we give you, (here he drew a draught with chalk on the table,) that we may not be pressed on any side, but have a certain country fixed for our own use, and the use of our children forever."
To this the Governor replied : "As to the lands between Sha- mokin and Wyomen, the proprietaries have never bought them of the Indians, and therefore never claimed them under any Indian purchase; that he was pleased with the choice they had made of that place, and would use all the means in his power to have these lands settled upon him agreeable to his request," &c.
The draft made by the Delaware chief, as nearly as it can be traced from the copy before me, begins on the west bank of the Susquehanna opposite the mouth of Shamokin creek below Sun- bury, thence to the mouth of Lycoming creek, thence along the east bank of it, by what were known as Burnett's hills, south of Towanda creek, and in an easterly circular direction to near Honesdale, and from that point in a southwesterly direction to the beginning. The territory thus demanded and agreed to be set off to him for the tribes he represented, comprised about 2,000,000 of acres, and included, in whole or in part, the counties of Union, Lycoming, Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming, Wayne, Lu- zerne, Columbia, Montour and Northumberland. Houses were built for them at Wyoming, and missionaries sent to them. But the great chieftain did not long enjoy his rest. He was burned to death in his own house at Wyoming in 1763, but not without suspicion of arson and murder; and within five years thereafter, was held the treaty at Fort Stanwix, already mentioned, whereby not only the aforesaid Wyoming Reserva- tion, but also a large body of other lands were purchased. This treaty included the territory, in whole or in part, of the counties of Northumberland, Columbia, Luzerne, Wayne, Sus- quehanna, Bradford, Lycoming, Clearfield, Indiana, Armstrong, Cambria, Somerset, Fayette, Westmoreland, Allegheny, Wash- ington, Greene, Clinton, Montour, Sullivan and Wyoming.
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.
Even before this date, 1768, the country between Shamokin and Wyoming must have been pretty well knownl. It is not my purpose to enter upon any examination or narration of the Pennsylvania and the Connecticut claims to the lands within the eharter limits of our State. If Connecticut had succeeded in her claim, most of the present eounty of Columbia would have been included within her boundaries ; the line passing west would have crossed at the mouth of Fishingcreek, which is as near as possible on the 41st parallel of latitude, which was claimed to be the southern boundary of Connecticut. But it is referred to here mainly because it introduces to us for the first time the name of a prominent settler in the county.
In January, 1769, Charles Stewart, John Jennings and Amos Ogden took possession of the lands claimed by Connecticut, in the name and on behalf of Pennsylvania, and on the 8th of February, 1769, a body of Connecticut men appeared on the ground. Dis- putes and bloodshed succeeded, each party being reinforced from time to time; and among the most determined opponents of the Pennsylvania government were some Laneaster county men, who probably had some personal grievanee. Be that as it may, Captain Charles Stewart continued to hold possession, and in pursuance of his duties travelled frequently from Shamokin to Wyoming. On "Friday, May 12th, 1769," he writes to "The Honorable John Penn, Esquire," a letter from which I make the following extract : "Sir: This afternoon about three o'clock, one hundred and forty-six New England men, and others, chiefly on horse-back, passed by our houses and are now encamped on the east side of the river. Among them is Benjamin Shoemaker and John Me- Dowell, with several of their neighbors. I spoke to McDowell, who informed me that at least as many more are on their way, and will be here to-morrow. And I have other intelligence that they will in a few days be five hundred strong. If this be true we ean only aet defensively until reinforced. At present we are but twenty-four men.
"On my way up the river from Shamokin, on Wednesday eve- ning last, I was hailed by a man at the mouth of Fishing creek, named James McClure, who told me he and four others, then at a fire hard by, was an advance party of one hundred going to join the New England men, and that they would chiefly be from
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.
Lancaster county; that he would be at Wyoming as soon as us, but he is not yet come."
It does not appear whether Mr. James McClure and the one hundred men marched on to Wyoming or not. In the progress of this history we shall find him next at the same mouth of Fishingcreek as a settler, taking up a tract of land under the Pennsylvania authorities and holding his title from the proprie- taries.
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.
CHAPTER V.
THE ORGANIZATION.
T THE county of Northumberland, from the territory of which Columbia county was taken, originally extended northward to the borders of New York. It was organized March 27, 1772, and took in all the valley of the West Branch, and with small exception the whole northeastern portion of the state. It con- tained 28,922 square miles, a territory almost as large as Con- necticut, Delaware, Massachusetts and New Jersey combined.
At the first Court held in that County, April 9, 1772, I find the following minute of the formal opening:
"At a court of private sessions of the peace held at Fort Augusta for the county of Northumberland on the ninth day of April in the twelfth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and in the year of our Lord God one thousand seven hundred and seventy-two, before William Plunkett, Esq.," &c., &c.
And among other matters of business transacted, "on motion made, the said county of Northd., or as much of the extent of the same as is now purchased from the indians, is divided into the following townships, to be hereafter called and known by the names of Penn's twp., Augusta twp-Turbutt twp-Buffalo twp -Bald Eagle twp-Muncy twp-and Wyoming twp."
Columbia and several other countics werc comprised within the three townships following, to-wit :
"Augusta-beginning at the mouth of Mahantango, on the west side of Susquehannah, thence with the county linc crossing Susquehannah to the mouth of Mahantango, on the east side, thence with the same county line up Mahantango to the spread Eagle in the forks of said Mahantango, thence into the said county line, east northeast to the old line formerly run for a division between
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.
Berks and Northampton Counties, thence by the same old line Northwest to the East branch of Susquehanna, thence down the same to Fort Augusta, thence crossing Susquehannah and down the same to the place of Beginning." Thus including all or nearly all that portion of the county lying east of the river.
"Turbutt-beginning on the east side of Susquehanna at Fort Augusta thence up the easterly side of the northeast branch to the old line formerly run for a division between Berks and Northampton countics, thence by the same line northwest to the top of Muncy Hill, thence along the top of the same westerly to the west branch of Susquehannah and crossing the same to the west side and down the same to the junction of the branches and crossing Susquehannah to the place of beginning so as to include the Forks and Island."
And so including with other lands the whole, or nearly so, of what is now the County of Montour.
"Wyoming-Beginning at the heads of Lycoming, thence southeast to Muncy Hill, theucc along the top of the same west- erly to the old division line between Berks and Northampton, thence southeast along the same line to the present County line, thence by the lines of the County to the bounds of the present purchase near Chenango, thence westerly by the bounds of the present purchase to the beg-g at ye heads of Lycoming aforesaid."
Comprising the greater portion of Columbia County, and at least four of the northeastern counties besides ; all which latter were, however, included in Luzerne, which was cut off from North- umberland, September 25, 1786.
In the year 1772 Mr. James McClure settled upon the west bank of the north branch of the Susquehanna river, about one mile above the mouth of Fishingcreek, in what is now Columbia county. He obtained a patent for his farm from the heirs of William Penn under the name of "McClure's Choice." The Mc- Clure tract was originally in the application of Francis Stewart, dated April 3, 1769, and is described as follows : "On the west side of the north east branch of Susquehanna near the mouth of Fishingcreek, adjoining land applied for by William Barton." The survey was made June 3, 1769 and contains 2982 acres and is called "Beauchamp." The MeClure Patent is dated November 6, 1772. A large part of West Bloomsburg is built upon the old
-
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.
McClure survey. On the 8th of February, 1776, among the commit- tee of safety we find named as the members for Wioming town- ship, Mr. James McClure, Mr. Thomas Clayton, Mr. Peter Mel- ick, whose families are still here. Col. James McClure, who died upon the old homestead on October 4, 1850, was the young- est son of the original proprietor, and was the first white child born in this section of Pennsylvania. His mother was a Miss Espy, and his cldest sister married Major Moses Van Campen, a famous Indian fighter in this neighborhood, whose exploits bor. der sometimes on the marvelous.
Within the same year of 1772, Evan Owen located himself on a farm at the mouth of Fishingcreek, and above Mr. James Mc- Clure came in their order Thomas Clayton, John Doan, John Webb, George Espy, the proprietor of Espytown, and the Gingles family. There was also, previously to the Revolution, a settle- ment at the mouth of Briar creek. The majority of these settlers belonged to the Society of Friends. McClure's house was made use of as a fort from the commencement of the war, as was also the building at Briarcreek. In 1781 McClure's was surrounded by an enlarged stockade, occupying the very spot of the present homestead upon that farm.
Columbia county was taken from Northumberland and separ- ately organized by act of Assembly of March 22nd, 1813, with the following boundaries, to wit; "Beginning at the nine mile tree on the bank of the northeast branch of the Susquehanna, and from thence by the line of Point township to the line of Chillis- quaque township, then by the line of Chillisquaque and Point townships to the west branch of the river Susquehanna, thence up the same to the line of Lycoming county, thence by the line of Lycoming county to the line of Luzerne county, thence by the same to the line of Schuylkill county, thence along the same to the south-west corner of Catawissa township, thence by the line of Catawissa and Shamokin townships to the river Susquehanna, and thence down said river to the place of beginning." P. L. 1813. p. 150.
There can be no doubt that the townships of Chillisquaque and Turbot were originally incorporated into Columbia county in order to secure the location of the county buildings at Danville; for the commissioners appointed by the Governor to select a site
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.
for the county town were required to fix it "as near the center as the situation thereof will admit," and Danville having been named in the report of the said commissioners, and the object being thus achieved, an act was passed, and approved the 21st day of February, A. D. 1815, by which it was provided "That from and after the first day of May next, the townships of Turbot and Chillisquaque, in the county of Columbia, be, and the same are hereby annexed to and made part of Northumberland county." P. L. 1815 p. 38.
On the same day an act "To run and mark a line dividing the counties of Columbia and Luzerne" became a law. P. L. 1815 p. 43.
The seeming trick by which the county seat of the new county had been fixed at Danville, and the prompt re-annexation of the two townships of Chillisquaque and Turbot to that from which they were taken, provoked a spirit of indignation and opposition in the upper part of the county. An agitation for the removal of the seat of justice from Danville to Bloomsburg, as a more central location and more in accordance with the letter and spirit of the act erecting Columbia county, immediately commenced, and con- tinued until success crowned the endeavor, by an act approved the 24th day of February, 1845, just thirty years after, authorizing a vote upon the question of removal. The detailed result will be found under that chapter in this volume.
In the meantime, however, so active and determined was the new movement become that it became necessary to conciliate the "removal" party. Accordingly, on the 22nd day of January, A. D. 1816, an act was approved, providing "That from and after the first day of May next, that part of the Chillisquaque and Tur- bot townships, in the county of Northumberland, lying within the following described bounds, viz : beginning at the corner of Point and Chillisquaque townships in the line of Columbia county, thence by the lines of said townships along the summit of Mon- tour's mountain, to where what is called Strawbridge's road crosses said mountain, thence by said road to where the road from Wil- son's mills to Danville intersects said road, thence to the bridge over Chillisquaque creek at John Murray's, thence by what is called Harrison's road past Chillisquaque meeting house to the corner of Turbot and Derry townships in the line of Lycoming county, thence by the line of Columbia county to the place of
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.
beginning, be, and the same are hereby annexed to and made part of Columbia county." P. L. 1816, p. 6.
The parts of Chillisquaque and Turbot which were thus re-an- nexed to Columbia became the townships of Liberty and Lime- stone, now in Montour county. This action of the Legislature took, for a time, much of the vim out of the removal party, but the snake was only scotched, not killed, and as the northern town- ships increased in population and wealth, and citizens found them- selves obliged to travel nearly the whole length of the county to reach the court house, the question again loomed up.
It received a new impetus when the Legislature, in 1818, by au act approved March the 3rd, provided "That all that part of Columbia and Luzerne counties lying within the following lines, viz. :
Beginning at a corner in the line dividing the county of Col- umbia from the county of Schuylkill, thence extending through the township of Catawissa north ten degrees east four miles and a half to a pine tree on the little mountain, thence extending through the townships of Catawissa and Mifflin north forty-five degrees east five miles to a stone on Buck's mountain and in a line dividing the county of Columbia from the county of Luzerne, thence through the township of Sugarloaf in the county of Lu- zerne, south seventy degrees east eight miles to the line between the county of Schuylkill and the county of Luzerne, thence along the said line and the line between the county of Columbia and the county of Schuylkill to the place of beginning," should be annexed to the county of Schuylkill, and be called "Union" township." P L. 1818, p. 130.
Thus shorn of her fair proportions upon the one side and the other, once more, in the year 1850, we were dismembered, and the county of Montour was erected from the territory of Columbia, by an act approved May 3rd, by the following boundaries : "All that part of Columbia county included within the limits of the town- ships of Franklin, Mahoning, Valley, Liberty, Limestone, Derry, Anthony, and the borough of Danville, together with all that portion of the townships of Montour, Hemlock and Madison lying westward of the following line : beginning at Leiby's saw mill on the bank of the Susquehanna, thence by the road leading to the Danville and Bloomsburg road, at or near Samuel Lazarus' house,
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.
thence from the Danville and Bloomsburg road to the back valley road at the end of the lane leading from said road to Obed Ever- ett's house, tbence by said lane to Obed Everett's house, thence northward to the school house near David Smith's, in Hemlock township, thence by the road leading from said school house to the state road at Robbins' mill to the end of the lane leading from the said road to John Kinney's house, thence by a straight line to John Townsend's, near the German meeting house, thence to Henry Johnston's near Millville, thence by a straight line to a post in the Lycoming county line near the road leading to Crawford's saw mill, together with that part of Roaringcreek township lying south and west of a line beginning at the south-eastern corner of Franklin township, thence eastward by the southern boundary line of Catawissa township to a point directly north of John Yeager's house, thence southward by a direct line, including John Yeager's house, to the Schuylkill county line at the north-east corner of Barry townsbip." P. L. 1850, p. 658.
On the first of November following the act was to go into oper- ation. The excitement over the matter was intense, heightened by the recollection of old contests over the question of the removal of tbe seat of justice from Danville to Bloomsburg. Every interest succumbed to the dominant question of "Repeal," and the people went into the election contest on that issue. Finally by an act ap- proved the 15tb day of January, 1853, the division line was chang- ed, and now remains as follows : "The township of Roaringcreek in Montour county, and such parts of the townships of Franklin, Madison and West Hemlock in the same county as lie eastward of the adjusted line between Columbia and Montour counties herein- after prescribed and established, shall be, and tbe same are hereby re-annexed to the county, and shall hereafter compose a part of the territory of the said county of Columbia as fully and effectually as if the same had never been included within the limits of Mon- tour county. That the line between the said counties of Columbia and Montour shall be changed and re-located as follows, to-wit : beginning at the Northumberland county line, at or near the bouse of Samuel Reader, thence a direct course to the center of Roaring- creek in Franklin township, twenty rods above a point in said creek opposite the house of John Vought, thence from the middle of the stream of said creek to the Susquehanna river, thence up
-
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.
the centre of the same to a point opposite where the present county line between Columbia and Montour strikes the north bank of the river, thence to the said north bank, thence by the present division line between said counties to the school house near the residence of David Smith, thence to a point near the residence of Daniel Smith, thence to the bridge over Deerlick run on the line between Derry and Madison townships, thence by the line between said township of Madison and the townships of Derry and Anthony to the line of Lycoming county." By the same .act, what was then Madison township in Columbia county was re-named Pine, and the parts of Madison which had been set off to Mount Pleasant and Hemlock were re-annexed to the old territory of Madison by this act reverting to Columbia county, and remain Madison township. P. L. 1853, p. 2.
As at present constituted, Columbia county contains an area of a little over four hundred square miles, and a population of nearly thirty-three thousand.
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.
CHAPTER VI.
STREAMS AND MOUNTAINS.
"THERE is, perhaps, no County in the State which is so well
T watered as Columbia. This is doubtless owing to the hills which diversify its surface, and which, shedding their waters in all directions, leave no part of the County arid or unfertile. It is impossible to designate, even by name, the multitude of runs and brooks which, through the dry summer season, feed from their mountain springs the larger streams which pour their waters into the beautiful Susquehanna, which traverses the County for a dis- tance of nearly twenty miles, eutering it at the line of the Bor- ough of Berwick, and leaving it at the Montour County line. Bounding upon it on the north-west side are Berwick, Briarcreek, Centre, Scott, Bloom, Montour; and on the south-east Mifflin, Main, Catawissa and Franklin. The river is crossed at Berwick by a bridge, at Mifflinville by a rope ferry, at Stonytown, in Centre township, by another rope ferry, with a third at Espy, in Scott township, with a fourth opposite Bloomsburg, by a bridge at Catawissa, and with a rope ferry near the mouth of Roaring creek.
CATAWISSA CREEK rises in Schuylkill county and runs through the entire length of the townships of Beaver, Main and Catawissa and empties into the North Branch Susquehanna at the point where the townships of Catawissa and Franklin strike the river. Its largest feeder is Scotch run, which, rising in the township of Beaver, drains the Scotch Valley, and after passing the whole length of the township, enters the Catawissa in Main township.
ROARING CREEK rises in the township of Roaringcreek, thence through Locust into Catawissa, thence back into Locust, thence through Franklin, striking the line between Franklin and May- berry in Montour County, and becoming the boundary line to
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.
where it empties into the Susquehanna; about three miles below the Catawissa. The south branch of Roaring creek rises in Con. yngham township. running its entire length, and at its confines striking Northumberland County, becomes the boundary line bc- tween Locust township in Columbia County and Northumberland, and thence turning north into Franklin, empties into Roaring creek about six miles above its mouth. The Indian name of the stream is "Popemetung."
HEMLOCK CREEK rises in Madison township, runs through Hcm- lock and becomes the boundary line between Montour and Hem- lock for a short distance, and empties into Big Fishingcreek about one mile above its mouth, and about one mile from the town of Bloomsburg.
SCOTCH RUN rises just beyond the Columbia County line in Lu- zerne county, at the foot of Nescopec mountain, and runs along its base the whole length of Beaver township, and empties into Catawissa creek, near Mainville in Main township. The Sunbury, Hazleton & Wilkes-Barre railroad lies on the bank of Scotch run from its mouth to its source. The stream is about fifteen miles in length. Long ago, but no longer known, as a fine trout producer.
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