USA > Pennsylvania > A history of the Juniata Valley and its people, Volume I > Part 19
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At the election in 1824 Robert Mitchell and Abraham Bower suc- ceeded John Maxwell and Robert Elliott on the board of county com- missioners and on April 11, 1825, these gentlemen, with their colleague, Samuel Linn, advertised that they would receive proposals until August 30th for the erection of a brick court-house forty-five feet square in the town of New Bloomfield which name had been conferred upon the new county seat. The contract was awarded to John Rice in September, but later it was decided to make the walls higher than originally intended and also add a cupola. The building was completed late in the year 1826 at a cost of $4,240.
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Although the county seat was located at New Bloomfield in 1824, the business of the county was transacted at Landisburg for nearly three years after the selection of the location for a permanent seat of justice was made and confirmed. Sessions of the court were held there in a log house on Carlisle street, which was rented to the county by Allen Nesbit for fifty dollars a year. The county officers kept the offices in their re- spective residences. In March, 1827, the county offices were removed to the new court-house in New Bloomfield and the first session of court ever held there began on April 2, 1827.
The court-house built in 1825-26 continued in use, with some slight repairs, until 1868, when the grand jury and the court authorized the commissioners to make such alterations and additions as might be nec- essary to accommodate the increasing volume of county business. Luther M. Simons, an architect of Harrisburg, met with the commissioners on May 12, 1868, when he was employed to make plans for the rearrange- ment of the interior and an addition to the north end of the building. The basement of the Presbyterian church was secured for the offices of the register and prothonotary while the alterations were under way and the sessions of the court were held in the Methodist church. The entire work, including the tower clock, was a little over $25,000. For the purchase of the clock about $300 was subscribed by the citizens. In 1892 further changes and improvements were made in the court- house at a cost of about $20,000. A new addition was added to the north end, in which the offices of prothonotary and register occupy the first floor, the jury rooms and law library being on the second floor.
With repairs at various times, the old jail erected in 1825 continued to serve the county as a prison for more than three-quarters of a cen- tury. Early in the spring of 1902 the commissioners advertised that they would receive proposals until noon of April 24, 1902, for the erec- tion of a new jail and sheriff's residence, according to plans and specifi- cations made by Charles M. Robinson, the building to be finished by November 15, 1902. When the bids were opened it was found that the firm of Dean & Havens were the lowest bidders and the contract was made with them for $26,000. Changes in the plans increased the cost to over $30,000 and delayed the work so that the building was not ready for occupancy until about January 1, 1903. Perry county now has a modern jail, sanitary in its arrangements and modern in every particular.
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At the time Perry county was created the Cumberland county poor- house happened to fall within the limits of the new county. The organic act made provision for this condition of affairs in Section 19, which set forth that "the poor-house establishment shall be conducted as hereto- fore for the term of four years from and after the passage of this act, and at the expiration of the four years the commissioners of Cumber- land county shall remove their paupers into their own county."
The poor-house had its origin on April 12, 1810, when the directors of the house of employment of Cumberland county purchased of Adam Bernheisel 112 acres of land in Tyrone township for a poor-farm. The following October contracts were entered into with Robert Cree, George Libey, and Thomas Redding for the erection of a building for $3,980. As already stated, this poor-house became the property of Perry county in 1820, but the Cumberland county paupers were kept there until about 1826. The old brick residence erected by Adam Bernheisel in 1806 was used as a dwelling by the steward. In 1839 the poor-house was de- stroyed by fire and a new one was erected by Samuel Shuman, which continued in use until the present building was erected in 1871. It is a four-story brick building of about seventy rooms, with brick partitions and iron stairways, being made as nearly fire-proof as possible, and cost about $60,000. George Hackett was the first steward after the poor- house became the property of Perry county and J. B. Trostle was the first steward in the present building.
In accordance with a resolution adopted by the Continental Congress on May 15, 1776, the provincial council the following month divided the several counties of Pennsylvania into election districts. The third dis- trict of Cumberland county was made to consist of the townships of Tyrone, Toboyne, Rye, Milford, Greenwood, Fermanagh, Lack, Armagh, and Derry, with the voting place at the house of Robert Campbell, in the Tuscarora valley. This district as thus constituted embraced all the present counties of Mifflin, Juniata, and Perry. Robert Campbell lived on Licking creek, in what is now Juniata county, and some of the inhabi- tants would have to travel from thirty to forty miles to cast their ballots on election day. By the act of September 13, 1785, Cumberland was divided into four districts and two others were added under the act of September 10, 1787. Other changes were made from time to time and when Perry county was erected in 1820 election districts and voting
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places were designated as follows: Toboyne township, at Henry Zim- merman's ; Tyrone, at the school house in Landisburg; Saville, the school house at North Ickesburg; Buffalo, at Frederick Deal's house; East Greenwood, at Henry Raymon's ; West Greenwood, at W. Wood's house, Millertown; Juniata, also at Wood's; Rye, at the Elmon school house in Petersburg. As new townships were erected each was made to consti- tute an election district, and, as population increased, some of the town- ships were divided into two or more election districts. The incorpora- tion of boroughs likewise led to the establishment of new districts.
Like most of the counties in the mountainous regions of central Pennsylvania, Perry county is of irregular outline. Its greatest length from the Susquehanna river, at the northeastern corner, to the Franklin county line, is over forty miles, and its average width is about fifteen miles. The county is bounded on the north and northwest by the county of Juniata; on the east by the Susquehanna, which separates it from Dauphin county ; on the southeast by the summit of the Blue mountain, which forms the boundary line between it and Cumberland county ; and on the west by the county of Franklin. Agriculture is the leading occu- pation of the people and some of the finest farms in the Juniata region are to be found in Perry county, notably in Sherman's, Kennedy's, and the Buffalo valleys, where some of the earliest settlements made within the district included in this history were established. The Juniata river enters the county from the west near Millerstown and flows a south- easterly course to Duncannon, where it empties into the Susquehanna. Perry county has about fifty-five miles of railroad. The main line of the Pennsylvania follows the course of the Juniata river: the Susque- hanna River & Western runs from Duncannon to Bloomfield Junction, where it connects with the Newport & Sherman's Valley railroad, which runs from Newport to New Germantown.
Some years ago Silas Wright, at one time superintendent of the Perry county public schools, compiled a list of the county officials from the organization of the county to 1884. That list is here reproduced and to it is added the civil list of the county from 1884 to 1912, as taken from the public records. The year given after each official's name is the one in which he was elected or entered upon his duties.
Sheriffs-Daniel Stambaugh, 1820; Jesse Miller, 1823: John Hipple, 1826; Josiah Roddy, 1829: William Lackey, 1832: M. Stambaugh, 1835;
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Joseph Shuler, 1838; Alexander Magee, 1841; Henry Cooper, 1844; Hugh Campbell, 1847; Samuel Huggins, 1850; Benjamin F. Miller, 1853; James Woods, 1856; Benjamin F. Miller, 1859; John Sheibly, 1862 ; John F. Miller, 1865 ; Jeremiah Rinehart, 1868; D. M. Rhinesmith, 1871; J. W. Williamson, 1874; James A. Gray, 1877; John W. Beers, 1880; Henry C. Shearer, 1883 ; Jerome B. Lahr, 1886; George M. Ritter, 1889; Joseph A. Rice, 1892; Charles L. Johnson, 1894; William H. Kough, 1898; Charles L. Johnson, 1901; Abram L. Long, 1904; E. T. Charles, 1907 (reëlected in 1910).
Prothonotaries-William B. Mitchell, 1820; Henry Miller, 1821; William B. Mitchell, 1824; George Stroup, 1829: John Boden, 1835; Alexander Topley, 1839; Joseph Miller, 1845 ; Peter Orwan, 1848 (died in office and John A. Baker appointed for the remainder of the term) ; James L. Diven, 1851; David Mickey, 1857; James G. Turbett, 1860; John C. Lindsey, 1863; David Mickey, 1864; Charles H. Smiley, 1867; James J. Sponenberger, 1870: David Mickey, 1876; Alexander Grosh, 1882; Jacob E. Bonsell, 1885; Samuel S. Willard, 1891 ; J. W. Stephens, 1897 (reelected in 1900, but died before the close of his second term and his son, G. Warren Stephens, was appointed to the vacancy), G. Warren Stephens, 1902 (reelected in 1905 and died in office, Grafton Junkin being appointed) ; George B. Shull, 1906 (reelected in 1909 and the second term prolonged one year by constitutional amendment making all county officers elected for four-year terms).
Registers and Recorders-Benjamin Leas, 1820; A. Fulweiler, --; Jacob Frith. 1824; John McKeehan, 1830: Jeremiah Madden; 1836; John Souder, 1839; George W. Crane, 1845; Robert Kelley, 1851 ; John Campbell, 1854; George Spohr, 1857; Samuel Roth, 1860; William Grier, 1863: Thomas J. Sheibly, 1869; Joseph S. Smith, 1872; George S. Briner. 1875; Josiah W. Rice, 1881 : Joseph S. Smith, 1884; Nathan- iel Adams, 1887; James W. McKee. 1893; Jacob C. Lightner, 1899; Charles L. Darlington, 1905; Charles L. De Pugh, 1911.
Treasurers-William Power, 1820; R. H. McClelland, 1823; George Stroup, 1827; John Wilson, 1830; Robert Kelley, 1832; David Lupfer, 1835; David Deardorff, 1838; William Lackey, 1841 ; Henry Rice, 1844; David Lupfer, 1847: Jonas Ickes, 1849; George Spohr, 1851; Thomas Clark, 1853; John R. Shuler, 1855: H. D. Woodruff, 1857; David J. Rice, 1859; John H. Sheibly, 1861; James McElheny, 1863; Samuel
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Smith, 1865; James McElheny, 1867; William Tressler, 1869; Isaac N. Shatto, 1871 ; George W. Spohr, 1873; John R. Boden, 1875; William Rice, 1878; John P. Steel, 1881; William A. Lightner, 1884; Thomas J. Clark, 1887; John W. Kell, 1890; L. H. C. Flickinger, 1893; H. C. Gantt, 1896; Wilson D. Messimer, 1899; Lawrence F. Smith, 1902; D. C. Kell, 1905; Lawrence F. Smith, 1908; Robert A. McClure, 191I.
County Commissioners-Upon the organization of the county in 1820 a full board of three commissioners was elected. After that, with few exceptions, as will be seen in the list, one commissioner was elected every year until the adoption of the state constitution of 1874, since which time a full board has been elected every three years. In 1820, Thomas Adams, Jacob Huggins, Robert Mitchell; 1821, Robert Elliott; 1822, Samuel Linn; 1823, John Maxwell; 1826, Abraham Adams, John Owen, Abraham Bower; 1827, George Mitchell; 1828, Solomon Bower; 1829, John Junkin; 1830, Jacob Kumbler; 1831, Alexander Branyan; 1832, Frederick Orwan; 1833. Jacob Kumler ; 1834, George Beaver, Andrew Shuman; 1835, Cadwalader Jones; 1836, George Beaver; 1837, C. Wright, J. Zimmerman; 1838, William White; 1839. M. Donnelly; 1840, G. Charles, Sr .; 1841, Robert Adams; 1842, Robert Kelley ; 1843, T. P. Cochran, Isaac Kirkpatrick; 1844, William Meminger; 1845, Nicholas Herich; 1846, John Patterson; 1847, George Fitzell; 1848, Thomas Adams; 1849, Jacob Sheibly; 1850, Fenlow McCowen; 1851, Charles C. Brandt; 1852, George Stroup: 1853. John Meyers; 1854, William Power; 1855, Jacob Bixler ; 1856, Lawrence Gross : 1857, James B. Cooper; 1858, Thomas Campbell; 1859. Henry P. Grubb; 1860, Henry Foulk : 1861, William Kough; 1862, William Wright; 1863. J. Kochenderfer; 1864, Perry Kreamer ; 1865, John Wright : 1866, William Hays; 1867, George S. Briner: 1868, John Stephens; 1869, Zachariah Rice; 1870, J. A. Lineweaver; 1871, W. B. Stambaugh; 1872, George W. Bretz; 1873, William Brooks; 1874, Joseph Ulsh: 1875. J. Wesley Gantt, Solomon Bower, George Campbell; 1878, J. Wesley Gantt ; 1881, Samuel Bauer, James B. Black, Daniel Sheaffer; 1884, Ulrich H. Rumbach, Edward Hull, Aaron Shreffer; 1887, Silas W. Snyder, John Martin, George W. Burd; 1890, William B. Gray, William Kumler, Wil- son D. Adams; 1893, Josiah Clay, D. P. Lightner, Isaiah Mitchell ; 1896, Aaron Shreffer, A. K. Bryner, William B. Gutshall; 1899, Thomas F. Martin, James Rhinesmith, Jacob Fleisher; 1902, William R. Dunn,
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HISTORY OF THE JUNIATA VALLEY
J. K. Adair, Abraham Bistline; 1905, J. B. Jackson, W. H. Leonard, John S. Bitner; 1908, Clark M. Bower, McClellan Woods, William H. Smith; 1911, R. R. Beers, Jonathan Snyder, William H. Lyter.
Directors of the Poor-This office was established in Perry county in 1839 and since then it has been filled as follows: John Tressler, 1839; Samuel Hench, 1840; Jacob Bixler, 1841; John Ritter, 1843; Jacob Sheibley, 1844; Charles Wright. 1846; Peter Hench, 1847; Robert Hackett, 1848; Thomas Black, 1849; Moses Uttley, 1850 ; George Titzell, 1851; Henry Lackey, 1852; Samuel Arnold, 1853; Samuel Milligan, 1854; James McClure, 1855; William Kerr, 1856; Henry Rhinesmith, 1857; Jacob Bernheisel, 1858; John Gensler, 1859; William Kell, 1860; John Stephens, 1861; John Ritter, 1862; John Weldon, 1863; John Arnold, 1864; Peter Shaffer, 1865; John Dunn, 1866; George Hoo- baugh, 1867; John Flickinger, 1868; John Newcomer, 1869: John S. Ritter, 1870; John Patterson, 1871; Samuel Dunkelberger, 1872; Wil- liam J. Graham, 1873; John Swartz, 1874; Abraham Long, 1875; Sam- uel Sigler, 1876; Benjamin F. Becton, 1877; George C. Snyder, 1879; Isaac T. Hollenbaugh, 1880; Benjamin Bistline, 1881 ; Amos S. Green, 1882; John Acker, 1883; Joseph Flickinger, 1884; John Garman, 1885 : John Wilt, 1886; John Freeland, 1887; Jacob WV. Wagner, 1888; John Swartz, 1889; John Freeland, 1890; George I. Rice, 1891 ; Benjamin H. Inhoff, 1892; George D. Taylor, 1893; John Wilt, 1894; Darius J. Long, 1895; George D. Taylor, 1896; James S. Peck, 1897; Darius J. Long, 1898; I. B. Free, 1899; Z. M. Dock, 1900; D. M. Hench, 1901 ; I. B. Free, 1902; Z. M. Dock, 1903; D. M. Hench, 1904; James A. Wright, 1905; S. S. Orris, 1906; Samuel M. Rice, 1907; James A. Wright, 1908; W. A. Lightner, 1909; S. S. Orris, 191I.
Surveyors-Prior to 1850 this office was filled by appointment. Those who have been elected since that date are as follows: James Woods, 1850-53; James B. Hackett, 1856; Samuel Arnold, 1859: David Rife, 1862; M. B. Hallman, 1865-68: Samuel H. Galbraith, 1871 ; James Bell, 1874: David Mitchell, 1877: John Rynard, 1880; W. J. Stewart, Jr., 1883; William A. Meminger, 1886; Silas Wright, 1889: James A. Wright, 1892 ; Silas Wright, 1895 (reelected in 1898, 1901, and 1904) ; J. L. L. Buck, 1907; Gard L. Palm, 191I.
Coroners-Michael Steever. 1841; Jonas Ickes. 1845; Jacob Steel, 1846; John McKenzie, 1847; James R. Gilmore, 1848; William L.
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HISTORY OF THE JUNIATA VALLEY
Stephens, 1851 ; Jamies R. Gilmore, 1853: John Bretz, 1854; James H. Case, 1855; Philip Ebert, 1859; Joseph Eby, 1860; Patrick McMorris, 1861; Jacob M. Miller, 1862; B. P. Hooke, 1863; James Crawford, 1864; Samuel Stiles, 1865; James B. Eby, 1866; Cyrus M. Clemson, 1867; Joseph Swartz, 1870; George N. Reuter, 1871 ; George W. Eppley, 1872; George W. Zinn, 1873; Samuel Stiles, 1879: Andrew Traver, 1882; George Schrom, 1885; George A. Ickes, 1888; J. H. Bleistein, 1889; C. E. Gregg, 1893; W. S. Groninger, 1896; W. R. Brothers, 1899; H. M. Smiley, 1901 ; George W. Gault, 191I.
State Senators-Jesse Miller, 1830; William B. Anderson, 1844; Robert C. Stewart, 1846; Joseph Bailey, 1851; Henry Fetter, 1857; C. J. T. McIntire, 1868; Charles H. Smiley. The above were all resi- dents of Perry county, which were the only senators included in Mr. Wright's list. Since 1881 the senators who have represented the district of which Perry county forms a part have been as follows: Charles H. Smiley, 1884; Joseph M. Woods, 1888 (reelected in 1892) ; William Hertzler, 1896; James W. McKee, 1900; William H. Manbeck, 1904 (served two terms ) : Franklin Martin, 1912.
Representatives-John Fry, 1820; F. M. Wadsworth, 1821; Jacob Huggins, 1823; Jesse Miller, 1826; W. M. Power, 1828: James Black, 1830; John Johnston, 1832; F. Rinehart, 1834; William Clark, 1837; William B. Anderson, 1838: George Beaver. 1842: Thomas O'Bryan, 1843: Eleazer Owen, 1846; John Souder, 1847: David Stewart, 1850; David Sheaver, 1852 : Thomas Adams, 1854: Kirk Haines, 1855 : Charles C. Brandt, 1857; John Power, 1859; William Lowther, 1861; Jesse Kennedy, 1862; John A. Magee, 1863 : Charles A. Barnett, 1864: G. A. Shuman, 1865; John Shively, 1868; D. B. Milliken, 1870: Joseph Shu- ler, 1872; J. H. Sheibly, 1874 ; G. N. Reuter, 1874; D. H. Sheibly, 1876; M. B. Holman, 1878; William H. Sponsler, 1882; J. R. Flickinger, 1886; William R. Swartz, 1888; Joseph W. Buckwalter. 1892; J. H. Seidel, 1896: John S. Arnold, 1900; Samuel B. Sheller, Jr .. 1902; John D. Snyder, 1906; W. N. Kahler, 1908; Lewis E. Donnally, 1910-1912.
Representatives were elected annually until the adoption of the con- stitution of 1874. after which they have been elected biennially. Where a number of years elapse between the dates following the names, it is evidence of one or more reelections, as in the cases of W. H. Sponsler, William R. Swartz, and J. H. Seidel, each of whom served two terms.
CHAPTER XI
PERRY COUNTY, TOWNSHIPS, BOROUGHS, ETC.
First Townships in the New Purchase-Present Townships-Buffalo-Carroll-Centre -Greenwood-Howe-Jackson-Juniata-Liverpool-Madison-Miller - Oliver - Penn-Rye-Saville-Spring-Toboyne-Tuscarora-Tyrone-Watts-Wheatfield- The Principal Villages-The Nine Boroughs-New Bloomfield-Blain-Duncannon -Landisburg-Liverpool-Marysville --- Millerstown-Newport-New Buffalo-The Town of Shermansdale-Postoffices-Rural Routes.
C ONCERNING the formation of townships in the new purchase by the Cumberland county authorities on October 23, 1754, the records of the court contain the following statement: "And we do further erect the settlements called Sherman's valley and Bufolo's creek into a separate township and nominate the same the township of Tyrone, and we appoint John Scott X. Linton to act as Constable therein for the remaining part of the current year."
No definite boundaries were fixed, the township being large enough to include the settlements named. Tyrone township as thus created included all that portion of the present county of Perry lying west of the Juniata river. The same territory now comprehends fifteen town- ships and there are five east of the river, making a total of twenty town- ships in the county, viz : Buffalo, Carroll, Centre, Greenwood, Howe, Jackson, Juniata, Liverpool. Madison, Miller, Oliver, Penn, Rye, Saville, Spring. Toboyne, Tuscarora. Tyrone, Watts, and Wheatfield.
Buffalo township, lying between the Juniata and Susquehanna rivers in the eastern part of the county, was formed in October, 1799, when a petition, signed by numerous citizens of Greenwood township living south of Buffalo hill, was presented to the court asking for a new town- ship. At that time Greenwood township embraced all that part of the county lying between the Juniata and Susquehanna rivers and the peti- tion set forth "That the said tract of country was nearly equally divided by the said Buffalo Hill, which begins at the Juniata, about one mile
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below Wild Cat Run, and continues to the Susquehanna, below the house of David Derickson, and praying the court that that part of said town- ship of Greenwood contained between the rivers Juniata and Susque- hanna and lying south of the Buffalo Hill may be erected into a new township."
At the same session the court granted the petition and ordered the division as requested, that part north of Buffalo Hill to remain as Greenwood and the portion south of the said hill to be known as Buffalo township. Since its erection the township has been much reduced in size by the formation of Howe and Watts townships. It is bounded on the northwest by Greenwood and Liverpool townships ; on the north- east and east by the Susquehanna river, which separates it from Dauphin county ; on the south by Watts township; and on the west by Howe town- ship and the Juniata river, across which lies the township of Miller.
Bucke's valley lies between Berry mountain on the north and the Half Falls hills on the south. It extends through Howe and Buffalo townships from the Juniata to the Susquehanna and is about two miles in width. Between Berry mountain and the Buffalo hill is a cove or basin known as Hunter's valley. It was in these valleys that the first settlements were made. About 1773 Reuben Earl, Martin Waln, Samuel Rankin, George Albright, and John Law took up lands along the Sus- quehanna, in the lower end of Bucke's valley. Farther up the valley were Jacob Bucke, Nicholas Liddick, and Henry Alspach, who located about the same time. John Rutherford had taken up 320 acres near George Albright's place some five years before, but it is not certain that he ever lived there. Samuel Rankin subsequently sold his land and, after several changes in ownership, it became the property of William Montgomery, from whom Montgomery's Ferry takes its name. Other pioneers were John Purviance, Zachariah Spangler, George Fetterman, Andrew Berryhill, and John Taylor. The last named took up 208 acres of land in August, 1789, near the Susquehanna, at the end of the Half Falls hills. It is said that the notorious renegade, Simon Girty, once lived for some time in a cave near the river, on the Taylor place, while watching the white people who had taken refuge at Fort Halifax on the opposite side of the river in Dauphin county. The place is still known by some as "Girty's Notch."
When Perry county was organized in 1820, the first assessment
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showed eighty-three freeholders, seven saw-mills, two grist-mills, and three distilleries in what is now Buffalo township. Michael Krouse, William Montgomery, Thomas Hulings, and Jacob Baughman were assessed on ferries, and Robert Baskins' heirs on a fulling-mill.
The oldest school of which anything can be learned was kept in a log cabin on Richard Beard's place at the base of the Half Falls hills. It was built early in the nineteenth century and some of the early teachers here were George Baird, James Denniston, Benjamin Elliott, and Mary McMullen. Some years later a school house was built at Bucke's grave- yard, where Joseph Foster, David Mitchell, Ann McGinnis, and Samuel Stephens were among the pioneer teachers. In Hunter's valley was another old school house, a rough log structure with a slab roof, and here was kept a subscription school which was patronized by some ten or a dozen families living in the vicinity. After the passage of the act of April, 1834, by which the state inaugurated the public school system, a meeting of citizens of Buffalo township was held on December 6, 1834, when a vote was taken on the question of accepting or rejecting the new system. It may sound strange at this late date to record the fact that out of forty-seven votes cast only one was in favor of the law and the appropriations it carried with it. That vote evidently did not prove final, for in 1840 the public school funds of the township were used in building school houses and no teachers were employed that year. In 1912 there were five teachers employed in the township.
Carroll township, in the southern part of the county, was established in 1834. In April of that year there was presented to the court a petition signed by 168 citizens, showing that they labored "under great incon- veniences for want of a new township, to be composed as follows, that is to say : Beginning at Sterrett's Gap; thence through Rye township, along the great road leading to Clark's Ferry, to a certain field of Henry Souder's ; thence to a saw-mill belonging to the heirs of Robert Wallace in Wheatfield township; thence along the great road leading to Bloom- field, until it intersects the division line of the townships of Wheatfield and Centre ; thence along the said line to a corner of Centre township; thence along said line to a point from whence a south course to the Cumberland line at Long's Gap: thence down the Cumberland line to the place of beginning."
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