A history of Columbia County, Pennsylvania. From the earliest times., Part 5

Author: Freeze, John G. (John Gosse), 1825-1913
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Bloomsburg, Pa. : Elwell & Bittenbender
Number of Pages: 594


USA > Pennsylvania > Columbia County > A history of Columbia County, Pennsylvania. From the earliest times. > Part 5


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BEAVER RUN rises in Beaver township on the Luzerne County line, and after a course westwardly for a distance of ten miles or more falls into Catawissa creek not far from the Beaver Valley post office.


LITTLE FISHINGCREEK enters the county at the Lycoming county line, and in its course becomes the boundary line between the townships of Pine and Jackson, then Pine and Greenwood, then Greenwood and Madison, then Madison and Mount Pleasant, then Mount Pleasant and Hemlock, and entering Big Fishingcreek about four miles from its mouth, at a point where Bloom, Mount Pleasant and Hemlock join, and receiving in its windings various small streams, as Black run, Spruce run, Bear run, and others.


BIG FISHINGCREEK, west branch, enters the county from Ly- coming at the north corner of Jackson township, and the cast branch through a gap in the mountains from Sullivan county into the township of Sugarloaf on the lands of Craig, Blanchard & Co .; -


48


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


thence south through Sugarloaf to about the centre on the west side, where the two branches meet, thence nearly to the south end of Sugarloaf where it reccives Cole's creek, thence into Ben- ton, near the south-west side of which it receives West creek, thence through and into Fishingcreek township, nearly to the south point, where it receives Huntingdon creek-a large affluent from Luzerne county-thence by a westerly course into Orange where it receives Green creek, thence south-west to the boundary line between Orange and Mount Pleasant, thence to the Susque- hanna river as the boundary line between Orange and Mount Pleasant, Scott and Mount Pleasant, Bloom and Hemlock, and Bloom and Montour; reaching the river about two miles below Bloomsburg, at Rupert, on the Catawissa and Lackawanna & Bloomsburg railroads.


BRIARCREEK, Big and Little, have their heads in the county. The larger stream rises in Centre, flows eastwardly through its whole length, into and through Briarcreek township, and empties into the Susquehanna about three miles below the borough of Berwick. The smaller rising in Briarcreck township and flowing through it nearly south, emptying into the main stream about two miles from its mouth. The Indian name of the stream is "Kawanisho- ning."


HUNTINGDON CREEK rises in Long Pond, in Sullivan county, and is fed by springs and runs in Fairmount and Ross townships in Luzerne county. It enters Columbia county near the south-east corner of Fishingcreek township, and falls into the Fishingcreek a few miles above Orangeville.


COLE'S CREEK rises in Sugarloaf township, in Columbia county, and runs south, entering Fishingcreek at Alinas Cole's mill, Cole's creek post-office.


GREEN CREEK rises in Jackson township, and runs south, meeting the Fishingcreek near Orangeville. It was one of the Columbia county coal oil locations.


TEN MILE RUN rises in Mifflin Township and after meandering variously through its rich soil and absorbing several little brooks on its winding way, falls into the Susquehanna, a mile below the


49


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


village of Mifflinville. Grist mills and saw mills are found on its route.


Many beautiful and sparkling little streams brighten the mead- ows and pasture lands, giving to the citizen health, to the soil fertility, and to the air salubrity. Some of those whose names are known are given.


PAINTER RUN in Sugarloaf township is also one of the tributaries of big Fishingcreek.


LATE'S RUN rises in Pine and flowing south-east falls into Fish- ingcreek not far from Luther German's in School District No. 3.


LICK RUN rises in Pine, takes a south-east course and enters Fishingcreek at Sereno post office.


SHINGLE RUN, rises in Pine and gathers up several smaller brooks, and meets Fishingcreek in School District No. 1.


SPENCER'S RUN rises in Benton and falls into Fishingcreek.


RAVEN CREEK, which is quite a stream, rises in Benton township, formed by two considerable branches, and running south through its entire length into Fishingcreek township, falls into the Fish- ingcreek at Stillwater.


PINE CREEK rises in Luzerne county and running southwest falls into Huntingdon creek in Columbia county, in Fishingcreek town- ship, at Jonestown.


BEAR RUN rises in Mount Pleasant and empties into Little Fish- ingcreek at Mordansville post office.


STONY BROOK rises in Orange township and falls into Fishing- creek a mile above Lightstreet.


SPRING RUN rises in Madison, at the upper end and falls into Little Fishingcreek at the corners of School Districts Nos. 5 and 8.


MUGSER's RUN rises in Locust township and running westwardly falls into the south branch of Roaringcreek near the junction of Franklin township and Northumberland county.


MILL CREEK rises in Roaringcreek township and falls into a branch of Roaringcreek near Cherington's.


50


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


CABIN RUN rises in Centre township and empties into the Sus- quehanna on the farm of Levi Aikman.


KINNEY'S RUN, a little stream emptying into the Susquehanna at the foot of Market street, and by which the locality of Blooms- burg was once known to the raftmen and others.


MUD CREEK, which is in fact, properly, the East Branch of the Chillisquaque, rises in Madison and joins the Chillisquaque at Washingtonville in Montour county, and passing through the township of Liberty empties into the West Branch of the Susque- hanna, in Chillisquaque township, near the foot of Montour Ridge.


LIMESTONE RUN rises in the township of that name in Montour county, and runs westwardly through Turbut township, into the West Branch at Milton.


BEVER RUN rises in Limestone and runs eastwardly into Chill- isquaque.


TOBY RUN rises in Mahoning township and falls into the Sus- quehanna at the Gas Works of the State Lunatic Asylum, above Danville.


BEAVER RUN rises in Liberty township and runs into Northumber- land County and empties itself into the Chillisquaque.


THE CATAWISSA mountains give character to all that part of the county lying east of the river. Between Bloomsburg and Cata- wissa, the river, which has been running a south-west course, sud- denly turns south and breaks through the mountain range instead of passing down the valley. Some terrible convulsion must have caused the chasm through which the winding Susquehanna pours its floods, and the scenery along "The Rocks" is beautiful and picturesque. The hill gradually breaks down as it stretches into Montour county, and is finally lost in the gentle depression. But on the east side of the river, casting off a spur here and there, it breaks the whole face of the county into great irregularities. Be- tween Catawissa and Centralia two distinct ranges of mountains bar the way, and upon the farther side of the second we strike the coal measures of the Schuylkill region, and enter upon a coun- try differing materially from all other parts of the county.


Upon the opposite or west side of the county the vast ranges


51


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


of the Muncy hills strike in, and seem to enclose us within their protecting convolutions ; and passing on to the north end we en- counter another branch of the great Allegheny range enveloping us on that side.


NOB mountain rises abruptly in the township of Orange, and extends north-eastwardly into Luzerne county, where it also declines to the level of the surrounding country. Along its base rushes Huntingdon creek, which rises in Long Pond in Sullivan county, and, passing through a part of Luzerne, empties into Fishingcreek just at the edge of the township of that name, whence together they continue to, and pass round its western end, leave its wooded sides and seek the green valleys that lie on the Susquehanna.


NESCOPECK mountain extends from Black creek in Luzerne coun- ty westward into Columbia county, and breaks down at Mainville. It is beautiful and regular in its formation, and is now being pros- pected for coal. Scotch Valley lies south of it, and beyond the narrow slip rises McCalla mountain, in which there is a large de- posit of coal. It breaks down at about Mifflin Cross-Roads. Be- yond McCalla mountain comes Beaver Valley, and beyond that Buck mountain, which slides down into the valley some distance above Shuman's. A map of the county, giving plainly the names of streams, hills and mountains is greatly needed.


MONTOUR's ridge extends from the West Branch above North- umberland eastward, by Danville, to a point north-east of Blooms- burg, where it breaks down and sinks away to the level of the sur- rounding country. It is a beautiful ridge and rich in minerals ; and derives its name from a celebrated Indian family of that name whose history and exploits will be related as fully as they have been rescued from oblivion, in a subsequent chapter.


52


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


CHAPTER VII.


IMPROVEMENTS AND PRODUCTIONS.


THE public roads of the county are numerous, and new ones are constantly being opened, making access to all parts of the county possible by the shortest routes. They are generally in good condition, well supplied with index boards, and the bridges over the various streams safe and plentiful.


The North Branch Canal passes through the county. Since the sale of the canals, that portion of them running from North- umberland to Wilkes-Barre, 64 miles in length, has come into the ownership of the "Pennsylvania Canal Company."


The capital stock of the company is five millions of dollars, and the whole length of canal owned by it is 338 miles. The officers are all Philadelphians, except Thomas T. Wierman, the chief engineer, who resides in Harrisburg. In this county Hugh D. Quick, of Rupert, and Hudson Owen, of Berwick, are the ac- tive, vigilant and competent local superintendents.


The Catawissa Railroad runs from Tamanend to Williamsport, 94 miles ; having depots in Columbia county as follows : Rupert, Catawissa, Mainville, Beaver Valley, Girard Manor, and others. It is now under lease to the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company.


The Danville, Hazleton & Wilkes-Barre Railroad, now under lease to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and known since its sale and re-organization, as the Sunbury, Hazleton & Wilkes- Barre Railway, runs from Sunbury to Tomhickon; and in Col- umbia county on the east side of the river, having a depot at Cat- awissa, Mainville, Mifflin X Roads and Glen City. It is 40 miles in length, and is a new and important outlet for coal and produce heretofore mostly inaccessible.


The Lackawanna & Bloomsburg Railroad, from Scranton to Northumberland, on the west side of the river, is 80 miles in


53


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


length, and has depots .in Columbia county at Berwick, Willow Springs, Lime Ridge, Espy, Bloomsburg, Rupert and Catawissa Bridge. It is now owned by the Delaware, Lackawanna & West- ern Railroad Company.


The North and West Branch Railroad, a most important one in this region, was authorized by act of Assembly approved May 13, 1871, empowering the company "to construct a railroad from the borough of Wilkes-Barre in the county of Luzerne, along the south side of the North Branch of the Susquehanna river, to a point opposite the town of Bloomsburg, in the county of Colum- bia, and thence by a bridge over said river and by the valley of Little Fishingcreek to the city of Williamsport, by the name, style and title of the NORTH AND WEST BRANCH RAILROAD COM- PANY, with power to construct a branch from near the town of Bloomsburg up the valley of Big Fishingcreek to connect with any existing or projected railroad in Sullivan county, with the right to connect with or cross at grade any railroad now made or hereafter to be made within the counties of Luzerne, Columbia, Montour, Sullivan or Lycoming, and with the right to build branches not exceeding ten miles each in length." The road has been constructed from Wilkes-Barre to a point on the river, op- posite Bloomsburg, and thence down the river to Catawissa, con- necting with the Sunbury, Hazleton and. Wilkes-Barre at that place. The route from Bloomsburg to Williamsport has been surveyed and some further work done, and it is in contemplation to begin the construction of the road at an early day.


Hunlock's Creek is another projected road, "from near the mouth of Hunlock's creek in the county of Luzerne, through the township of Huntingdon to the borough of Muncy in Lycoming county, by the name, style and title of the Hunlock's Creek and Muncy Railroad Company, with the right to connect with the Philadelphia & Erie, the Lackawanna & Bloomsburg, or any other railroad now made or hereafter to be made within the coun- ties of Luzerne and Lycoming, with the right to build branches not exceeding ten miles in length."


Several routes have been examined and surveyed, all of which go for a shorter or longer distance through the county of Colum- bia. It seems to us impossible to build the road without passing through Benton or Sugarloaf or both. .. Our people are therefore


54


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


greatly interested in the construction of the road, which with the North and West Branch road will give to us a positive and per- manent advantage in the coal, iron and lumber trade of this re- gion of country.


It is hardly necessary to add that nearly all the business places in Bloomsburg are connected by telephone, and many of them also to the residence of the respective business houses. The line has been extended to Danville, Catawissa, Rupert, Millville and Orangeville, from the central office at Bloomsburg.


The Tide Water Pipe Line Company are constructing an oil line through the county, and are accompanying it by a telegraph line, which connects Buckhorn, Jerseytown and other places, di- rectly with Bloomsburg.


The limestone trade of the county is very large. The railroads have transported annually one hundred thousand tons, and a very large tonnage has been shipped on the canal, but the separate items of freight are not made up, so that the number of tons cannot be ascertained. The amount used in the manufacture of iron is given in the statistics of that trade; and there are no data for estimat- ing the immense number of bushels of lime annually burned and delivered to farmers at the kilns.


It is imposible to tell what amount of coal may exist in Colum- bia county. Even in the region of Conyngham and Beaver it is only partially developed; and there are claimed to be abundant and satisfactory evidences of the existence of coal in the northern townships of the county ; in Nob mountain and in the mountains of Sugarloaf. In this latter township it is claimed that there are large and rich deposits of iron ore, and if coal is also de- veloped, with the lumber thereabouts, there must shortly be a large access of wealth and population, increased and stimulated by the building of the railroads through there which have been mention- ed under the proper heads. But the production of coal is so un- certain that it is hardly worth the while to make any statement about it. It is sufficient to say that as much as 400,000 tons has been mined in one year within the county. And the same may be said of the manufacture of pig iron; but which in any thing like a fair commercial year averages about 20,000 tons. For each ton of iron manufactured there is required 2.05 tons of coal, 3.25 tons of ore, and 1.59 tons of limestone.


55


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


CHAPTER VIII.


TOWNSHIPS & BOROUGHS.


W HEN in 1813 the county of Columbia was separately organ- ized, it consisted of the twelve townships following, to-wit : Bloom, Briarcreek, Chillisquaque, Catawissa, Derry, Fishingcreek, Greenwood, Hemlock, Mahoning, Mifflin, Sugarloaf and Turbut.


Turbut township was declared at April sessions, 1772, by the Court, one of the townships into which Northumberland county was divided.


Mahoning township was erected at February sessions 1775, out of part of Turbut.


Catawissa township was erected at August sessions 1785 out of Augusta.


Chillisquaque township was erected at May sessions 1786 out of parts of Turbut and Mahoning.


Derry township was erected at May sessions 1786, out of Tur- but.


Fishingcreek township was erected at August sessions 1789 out of part of Wyoming.


Briarcreek township was erected at August sessions 1797, out of Fishingcreek township.


Bloom township was erected at August sessions 1798 out of Briarcreek.


Greenwood township was erected at August sessions 1799, out of part of Fishingcreek township.


Of Hemlock, Mifflin, and Sugarloaf the records fail to give me any information.


56


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


The portions of Chillisquaque and Turbut re-annexed to Col- umbia county by the act of January 22, 1816, were erected into the townships of Liberty and Limestone, both now in Montour county.


Madison township was erected out of part of Derry, now in Montour county, by petition to the court at the April sessions, A. D. 1817.


Mount Pleasant was formed out of parts of Greenwood and Fishingcreek and, we believe, Bloom, at the January sessions, A. D. 1818.


Berwick was created a borough by act of Assembly, on the 29th day of January, A. D. 1818.


Roaringcreek was cut off from Catawissa, and became a town- ship at the January sessions, A. D. 1832.


Montour township was erected out of territory taken from Hemlock at November sessions, A. D. 1837.


Jackson became a township at the November sessions, A. D. 1838, being formed out of parts of Greenwood and Sugarloaf.


Valley, now in Montour county, was stricken off from Mahon- ing and Derry, also both now in Montour county, at the August sessions of 1839. It was proposed by the petitioners to call the township "Baldy," but it was finally organized by the name of Valley.


Orange was for a long time a separate election district, but not a township. But at the April court, 1839, after some opposition, parts of Bloom, Mount Pleasant and Fishingcreek were carved out and the name Orange given to the territory.


Franklin township, including what is now known as Mayberry, in Montour county, was stricken off from Catawissa at the April court, A. D. 1843.


Main was erected at the January court, A. D. 1844, out of por- tions of the townships of Catawissa and Mifflin.


Centre was formed at the same court, January, 1844, out of parts of Bloom and Briarcreek.


Beaver was for a considerable time called the "Paxton Dis- trict," in respect, we believe, to Col. Joseph Paxton; but in the


57


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


year 1845, at November sessions, it was erected into a township by the name of Beaver. It belonged formerly to Mifflin.


Anthony, now in Montour county, was struck off from the upper end of Derry at the November sessions, 1847, and named in hon- or of Joseph B. Anthony, the then President Judge."


Benton was cut off from Sugarloaf at the August session, A. D. 1850.


Pine was brought into existence by an act of Assembly of 15 January, 1853, the fruit of the division process.


Locust came by its present name by an act of Assembly of April 18, 1853. It had been received from Montour county in the straightening of the division line, where it had been known as the township of "Scott." It had formerly been a part of Roaring- creek, and upon being received back into Columbia was named Locust.


Scott township was formed out of a part of Bloom at the Sep- tember session A. D. 1853.


Conyngham, named in honor of the then President Judge, was formed out of part of Locust township at the February sessions, A. D. 1856.


Centralia Borough, in said township of Conyngham, was con- firmed after a warm contest, at the February court in A. D. 1866.


"The Town of Bloomsburg" was organized by an act of Assem- bly of March 4, 1870. It embraces all that had been left of the territory of Bloom township at the date of the act. The organi- zation is quasi borough. More than one effort had been previ- ously made to secure a borough charter, but the bad shape of the remaining portion of the township had defeated the applications. The act of organization was a special one, embracing some of the sections and provisions of the general borough laws. In the elec- tion of its municipal officers the principle of the free vote as ad- vocated by Senator Buckalew was applied. The working of it was practically tested at our first election on the twelfth day of April, A. D. 1870 ; which was also the first time that the system had been applied in the United States, and at that election Mr. Buckalew cast the first vote in illustration of his system.


58


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


RECAPITULATION.


Turbut, original, May session 1772


Mahoning, original, February session 1775


Catawissa, original, August session 1785


Chillisquaque, original, May session 1786


Derry, original, May session. 1786


Fishingcreek, original, August session. 1789


Briarcreek, original, August session 1797


Bloom, original, August session. 1798


Greenwood, original, August session. 1799


Hemlock, original, no date of erection


Mifflin, original, no date of erection


Sugarloaf, original, no date of erection.


Liberty, by Act of Assembly


1816


Limestone, by Act of Assembly.


Madison 1817


1818


Berwick Borough


1818


Roaringcreek 1832


Montour 1837


Jackson


1838


Orange.


1839


Franklin 1843


Main 1844


Centre 1844


Beaver 1845


Benton


1850


Pine. 1853


Locust, theretofore "Scott" 1853


Scott, out of Bloom 1853


Conyngham. 1856


Centralia Borough 1866


The Town of Bloomsburg. 1870


1816


Mount Pleasant.


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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


CHAPTER IX


POPULATION.


I N 1820 the population as then existing was 17,621, and in 1850 after the erection of Montour county the population remaining was 17,700; and at the same period Montour county had within its borders 13,493 persons.


Since 1850 Columbia county has almost doubled in population, a portion of which increase is, however, due to the readjustment of the lines in 1853. The county having been, up to within a very short time almost entirely agricultural, the growth in population has been less rapid than in those localities wherein manufacturing is largely pursued. The influence of special industrial pursuits may be shown by the following figures. In 1850 the population of Berwick was 486, in 1880 it was 2095 .- In 1850 Catawissa was 1143, in 1880 it was 2003 -- In 1850 Bloom and Scott, then to- gether, had 3122, in 1880 they make 5049-In 1850 Danville Borough was 3302, in 1880 it was 7899. So too, Beaver town- ship, which had in 1850 a population of 672, had in 1880 increas- ed to 1221. Take it all in all, however, the increase in population has been healthy and satisfactory. It has not been stimulated by any undue excitement, nor by any unsubstantial and transitory in- dustry. It is therefore permanent, and no greater than can be properly absorbed and usefully employed. Such settlers give strength and stability to manufactures, and afford a constant and remunerative market for the produce of the farmer, and the goods, wares and merchandise of the shopman.


We give the census by townships for every decade since the erection of the county. The curious discrepancies that ap- pear will be properly referred by the reader to the formation of new townships and to the erection of Montour county and the


61)


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


correction and rearrangement of the division lines. The blanks opposite the townships for some of the years indicate their non- existence at that date, except in the case of Roaringcreek, which in 1850 was in Montour county.


The time of the erection of the different townships and the ter- ritory out of which they were formed will be found under the head of "Township- and Boroughs," and the comparison of pop- ulation can as well be made by the reader as by the compiler.


In 1830 the taxables in the county, including Montour, were 2486. They will be found below for 1882, for Columbia county alone, as well as some estimate of acreage and values; of course the ter is constantly fluctuating and is consequently only a basis for future comparisons.


TOWNSHIPS.


Taxa- bles


Acres of unseated


Acres of Value of lands. sea'd lands unseated


Value of seated


Beaver


257


8513


12965|


$9453


$102829


Benton


292


118


11699


570


141856


Berwick


660


..


448


132272


Bloomsburg . .


986


2091


629142


Briarcreek .


284


4383


11134


5930


248390


Catawissa


646


1692


5691


2884


253963


Centralia .


385


226


120915


Centre


296


287


11643


1111


282994


Conyngham


512


6309


5733


76874


418755


Fishingcreek ..


366


2940


15622


5172


181764


Franklin .


117


162


7243


1011


99665


Greenwood.


43


438


16621


1910


203295


Hemlock


227


642


9150


2215


186785


Jackson.


157


1237


9399


2410


47699


Locust


456


2008


22343


3350


243372


Main.


153


3347


6320


4360


114881


Madison


27]


762


18585


2845


173018


Mifflin


272


1553


9975


2750


172150


Montour.


154


225


6155


2846


160449


Mt. Pleasant ..


171


94


9584


635


126761


Orange


253


532


7543


1820


146463


Pine.


218


1071


13503


1665


65425


Roaringcreek .


129


3584


9518


5052


75580


Scott. .


412


2


4032


80


239236


Sugarloaf


215


2381


12185


4506


59388


Total


8,326


139,449


239,408


$139,449


4,607,047.


1


61


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


The census figures for the year 1850 are a little confused in both counties, because of the division that year, and some uncer- tainty about the lines. But for 1860, 1870 and 1880 they are substantially, perhaps exactly, correct.




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