History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Part 32

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- ed; John, J. J., 1829-
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1424

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295

THE PRESS.

vidually. The New's is now an eight-column folio, and has been published semi-weekly since August, 1889. It is Republican in politics.

The Weekly Item, an advertising medium for gratuitous distribution, was first issued on the 7th of January, 1888, by L. W. Gheen, who was succeeded on the 7th of December, 1889, by Will B. Wilson, the present proprietor. It is a five-column folio, and is published weekly.

The Mt. Carmel American made its first appearance on the 30th of August, 1890, as a five-column folio for gratuitous distribution. On the 1st of January, 1891, "Mt. Carmel" was substituted for "Weekly" in the caption, the paper was enlarged to its present size (a seven-column folio), and brought to a subscription basis. Burke & Sterner established the paper, but Sterner withdrew after the issue of the second number; Thomas N. Burke then con- tinued the paper individually until January 1, 1891, when William J. Thomas became associated with him, and the present publishers are Burke & Thomas. The American is independent in politics with Democratic proclivities.

The Tri-Weekly American, first issued on the 2d of January, 1891, by Curtis Sterner, suspended three weeks later.

PAPERS AT WATSONTOWN.

The Watsontown Record was founded in 1870 by a local company known as the Watsontown Printing Association, of which A. J. Guffy, Joseph Hollo- peter, and Oscar Foust were the leading members. The par value of the shares was ten dollars and a sufficient amount was realized from their sale .

and by subscriptions from public spirited citizens to secure a printing outfit. P. H. Coup, now a clergyman, was the first editor and manager. In this po- sition he evinced considerable ability, but, like many other enterprises in the incipient stage, the paper was not a financial success. The plant was sold at judicial foreclosure and purchased by John J. Auten, under whose adminis- tration a fair degree of prosperity was attained. April 1, 1877, he was suc- ceeded by D. L. Sollenberger, now of the Shamokin Dispatch. On the 1st of February, 1878, he disposed of the plant to the Record Publishing Com- pany, of which G. W. Hess was president, with Oscar Foust and S. M. Miller as constituent members. The editorial and business management was in- trusted to L. C. Fosnot, who had been an attache of the office since Mr. Sol- lenberger took charge. In 1881 J. A. Everitt succeeded the Record Pub- lishing Company; during the following three years the publication was suc- cessively conducted by no less than thirteen different individuals or firms, each change resulting in a less degree of prosperity, and the paper was finally consolidated with the Star, in January, 1884.

The West Branch Star made its debut, April 1, 1882, as a five-column quarto, under the proprietorship of L. C. Fosnot and W. W. Fisher. The latter retired in October, 1883, in favor of Theodore Burr, whose interest was acquired by Mr. Fosnot in March, 1890. In January, 1884, a consolidation

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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

was effected under the name of the Record and Star, when the page was en- larged to six columns. The present form, that of a seven-column quarto, was adopted in April, 1888. The Star was originally Democratic in politics, but the paper is now independent. Mr. Fosnot is the editor and publisher.

The Agricultural Epitomist was established as a semi-monthly in 1882 by J. A. Everitt, an extensive seedsman, and the paper was a useful adver- tising adjunct to his business, although considerable attention was also de- voted to general agricultural topics. John A. Woodward was editor until 1884, when the paper became a monthly, and since that date it has been edited by J. A. Everitt, who was succeeded in 1889 by the Epitomist Pub- lishing Company. The size of the sheet is twenty-four by thirty-four inches, folded to sixteen pages. The highest circulation of any single number was two hundred thousand copies; the present average circulation is seventy-five thousand copies. In 1886 the Epitomist was removed to Indianapolis, In- diana. It has a larger circulation than any other paper published in that State, and, according to Rowell's Directory, is one of twenty-four papers in the United States that regularly issue over fifty thousand copies.

The Blade was established by J. Ward Diehl, May 13, 1889, and is one of the most recent as well as one of the most sprightly journals started in the county. It is a six-column quarto, and is independent in politics.

MCEWENSVILLE AND LOCUST GAP PAPERS.

" About 1849 or 1850 a paper called the West Branch Intelligencer was started in McEwensville by a gentleman named Case. It lived about eighteen months, and then expired."-History of the West Branch Valley.

The Locust Gap Local, the initial journalistic venture at that point, is a five-column folio, independent in politics, and was established on the 6th of December, 1890, by Frederick W. Magrady, the present editor and proprie- tor.

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INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

CHAPTER VIII.

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

RELATION OF HIGHWAYS OF TRAVEL TO CIVILIZATION-PUBLIC ROADS-THE TULPE- HOCKEN ROAD- THE OLD READING ROAD-EARLY COUNTY ROADS-TURNPIKES- RIVER NAVIGATION - CANALS - RAILROADS - PENNSYLVANIA - DANVILLE AND POTTSVILLE-PHILADELPHIA AND ERIE-NORTHERN CENTRAL- SUNBURY, HAZEL- TON AND WILKESBARRE-SUNBURY AND LEWISTOWN-LEWISBURG AND TYRONE- PHILADELPHIA AND READING-MINE HILL AND SCHUYKILL HAVEN -- MAHANOY. AND SHAMOKIN-ENTERPRISE-SHAMOKIN AND TREVORTON-TREVORTON, MA- HANOY AND SUSQUEHANNA-CATAWISSA-SHAMOKIN, SUNBURY AND LEWISBURG- DELAWARE, LACKAWANNA AND WESTERN-LEHIGH VALLEY-WILKESBARRE AND WESTERN.

T HE relation that highways of travel sustain to material and intellectual progress has been frequently discussed in learned dissertations upon the philosophy of civilization. It has been shown that maritime nations were the first to advance in the arts; that every great river is a highway by which civilizing influences penetrate to the interior of continents, and that national insulation, as illustrated in the case of certain Oriental peoples, results in a condition of utter stagnation. The various agencies by which intercommuni- cation is usually facilitated in an inland community-public roads, navigable rivers, canals, and railroads-the result as well as the cause of internal development and progress, are properly comprehended under the generaliza- tion which appears at the head of this chapter.

PUBLIC ROADS.

Two well defined routes of travel lead from the frontier settlements to the Indian town at the forks of Susquehanna. That pursued by the Indian traders and early explorers followed the course of the river; the other, which may with some degree of propriety be called the overland route, began at the settlements on the Tulpehocken, crossed the various mountains and streams in a northwesterly direction, and probably intersected the river some distance below Shamokin.

Internal improvements in Northumberland county first received attention during the construction of Fort Augusta. The following entry appears in Major Burd's diary of January 15, 1757: "This day I went with Captain Shippen and a party and laid out a straight road round Shamokin Hill for the benefit of transporting our provisions hither, finding it impracticable to pass over the mountain." On the 17th he went himself with a party and began

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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

to open the road. On the 20th instant he wrote: " This day I sent Captain Shippen and the adjutant with a small party to extend the road from the first rise over the gut to the forks of the road on the top of the mountain, with orders to blaze it .. .Captain Shippen returns and reports he had found a very good road with an easy ascent over the mountain that could be traveled at all times, and had blazed it well. This day the party clearing the road to the first rise and making the bridge over the gut reports the same finished." This was the first road regularly laid out in the county .*

While a regularly opened highway would doubtless have greatly facili- tated military operations, the first effort to open a road through the present territory of the county resulted principally from commercial considerations. At a meeting of the provincial Council on the 30th of January, 1768,f a petition was presented from " a very considerable number of the inhabitants of Berks county," setting forth that if a road were opened from Reading to Fort Augusta "it would greatly tend to advance the trade and commerce with the Indians who are settled at the heads of the Susquehanna river, and to preserve the friendship and peace with them, and would also save great charge and expense in transporting skins and furs from thence, as the dis- tance from that fort to Philadelphia by way of Reading is much shorter than any other." Upon taking the matter into consideration the board coincided with the petitioners regarding the public utility of the road, but, as part of the country through which it would pass to Fort Augusta had not yet been relinquished by the Indians, it was not deemed advisable to open it beyond the line of the purchase of 1749. An order was forthwith issued directing Jonas Seely, John Patton, Henry Christ, James Scull, Frederick Weiser, Benjamin Spycker, Mark Bird, Christian Laur, and Thomas Jones, Jr. to lay out a road by the most direct course from Reading toward Fort Augusta as far as the line of the purchase of 1749 or to some point on the Susque- hanna river between the mouth of Mahanoy creek and Mahanoy mountain. The road was accordingly laid out and a return thereof made to Council.# Beginning at Reading it extended in a general northwesterly course-fourteen miles ninety-one perches, to the Tulpehocken; thence eight miles ninety- four perches, to the Swatara; thence twenty-eight miles two hundred forty perches, to the Spread Eagle in the forks of Mahantango; thence four miles two hundred fifty-seven perches, to Schwaben creek; thence five miles one hundred sixty-four perches, "to a white-oak on the bank of Susquehanna river and south side of the Mahanoy mountain"-a total length of sixty-one miles two hundred six perches. As thus returned the road was confirmed by Council on the 19th of January, 1769, and an order forthwith issued that

*Pennsylvania Archives (Second Series), Vol. II. pp. 754-755.

+Colonial Records, Vol. IX. p. 440.

¿Colonial Records, Vol. IX. pp. 556-561.

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it should be opened and cleared, "and rendered commodious for public serv- ice." Its course had evidently been a traveled route before, as mention is made of "the lower end of the dug road," "the old feeding place," "the old path to Lykens' valley," "a noted spring by the old path," etc. This was the old Tulpehocken road, the first public highway legally opened in North- umberland county.

On the 16th of January, 1770, a petition* was prepared, setting forth the advantages to be derived from the opening of a road "from Fort Augusta to Ellis Hughes's saw mill, on the navigable part of Schuylkill about thirty miles above Reading." It was considered by Council on the 9th of February, when George Webb, Jonathan Lodge, Henry Miller, Henry Shoemaker, John Webb, Isaac Willits, and Job Hughes were appointed to lay out the road, in which service all of them participated except Henry Miller. The report was returned to Council under date of April 14, 1770; it received the consid- eration of that body on the 23d of the same month, when an order was issued confirming the road as laid out and directing that it should be "opened and rendered commodious for public service." It was declared to be a "King's highway." From a point on the Schuylkill three fourths of a mile below Hughes's saw mill to "the bank of the river Susquehanna by the northwest corner of Fort Augusta " the length was "thirty-nine miles and one quarter and nineteen perches." The general course coincided with that of the Centre turnpike, crossing Broad mountain, Mahanoy creek and mountain, and Shamokin creek. This highway has been popularly known in Northumber- land county as the old Reading road, f and, with the Tulpehocken road, con- stituted the facilities of overland communication in this part of the State at the organization of the county.

Public roads became a subject of judicial consideration in May, 1772, at the first court of quarter sessions after the formation of the county, when "sundry the inhabitants of the West Branch of Susquehanna and parts adjacent" petitioned for the opening of a public road from Fort Augusta up the east side of the West Branch to Lycoming. Richard Malone, Marcus Hulings, Jr., John Robb, Alexander Stephens, Daniel Layton, and Amariah Sutton, to whom the petition was referred, submitted their report at August sessions, 1772; it was forthwith confirmed and an order of court issued declaring the road "a public highway of the breadth of thirty-three feet, to be cleared, maintained, and remain free and open for the public or persons using the same agreeably to the laws of this Province forever." As thus laid out it crossed the North Branch half a mile above Fort Augusta "to a marked hickory near the bank in the main point," thence passing the houses of John Alexander, William Plunket (above Chillisquaque), John Dougherty, and Marcus Hulings between the North Branch and the gap in Muncy Hill.

* Pennsylvania, Archives, Vol. IV. pp. 362-363.

+ Colonial Records, Vol. IX. pp. 651-666.

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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

Although this road was thus nominally established, it does not appear that the order of court requiring it to be opened was fully complied with, as sub- sequent proceedings abundantly testify.

"The petition of sundry inhabitants of the North Branch of Susquehanna and of the waters of Mahoning creek in Turbut township" was also consid- ered at May sessions, 1772. They asked the "worshipful justices" to take measures for the opening of a road from Fort Augusta to the narrows of Mahoning, urging as reasons for immediate action that "the earlier such a road is laid out and opened, the fewer inconveniences will arise to the inhabitants, as they will then know better how to regulate their fences and carry on their improvements." Thomas Hewitt, Robert McCulley, John Black, Hugh Mc- Williams, Robert McBride, and John Clark, Jr., were appointed as viewers; their report was returned and confirmed at May sessions, 1773. The road thus laid out crossed the North Branch a half-mile above Fort Augusta, co- incided with Water street in Northumberland, crossed McCulley's run, Miller's run at the forks, and continued, at no great distance from the river, to Mahoning creek. It was the first public road in the valley of the North Branch.

The first road down the Susquehanna was confirmed in May, 1773. The petition was presented at August sessions, 1772, and referred to William Patterson, Samuel Hunter, Sr., George Wolf, Peter Hosterman, Casper Reed, and Sebastian Kerstetter. They laid out a road "beginning at the end of Market street in the town of Sunbury, thence down the Broadway and along the bank of the river south twenty-five degrees west ninety-four perches and nine feet, thence across the river," following the bank on the western side "to a stone in the middle of Mahantango creek," where the road to Carlisle was intersected.

A road from Mahantango to Sunbury on the east side of the Susque- hanna was petitioned for at August sessions, 1774. John Clark, Peter Al- maug, Leonard Kerstetter, Jonas Yocum, Michael Shaver, and John Shaver were appointed viewers. Their report was confirmed at the corresponding term of court in the following year; it provided for a bridle road twenty-one feet wide, "beginning at John Heckert's on Manhantango creek," thence passing in order Peter Yocum, Casper Snively, Fiddler's run, Anthony Fid- dler, Peter Weiser, Samuel Weiser, Mahanoy creek, Hugh Mckinley, Will- iam Biles at Biles's creek, Auchmuty's, Adam Christ, Christian Ferst, Hol- lowing run, and Shamokin creek, "to William Baker's house on the road already laid out and confirmed from Sunbury to Reading." This was the first road leading from Sunbury to the southern part of the county. It was twenty miles one hundred thirty-nine perches in length, and did not deviate from the bank of the river to any extent in any part of its course.

At February sessions, 1774, a petition was presented for a road "from the town of Sunbury, betwixt the East Branch of Susquehanna and

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INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

Shamokin creek, to where it may fall on said branch a little above the mouth of Mahoning creek, where a ferry will be erected." It was represented that such a road would be of great advantage, not only to the inhabitants of Au- gusta township, but also to those of Wyoming and Fishing creek; and that "from the heads of Chillisquaque and Mahoning a level road can be had through Montour's hill down Mahoning creek the best and nearest way to the proposed ferry, and about two miles nearer from the said ferry to the town of Sunbury than any other way can be found." As viewers David Mc- Kinney, William Clark, David Fowler, Robert McBride, Samuel Crooks, and John Teitsworth were appointed. At November sessions, 1774, they reported having laid out a road "beginning at a black oak on the bank of the East Branch of Susquehanna opposite to John Simpson's," thence by various courses to "the Sunbury road at the bridge east of the said town." It was forthwith confirmed, and was the first road opened south of the North Branch from Sunbury to the site of Danville. The course was evidently quite direct, as the distance between the termini was reported as ten miles one hundred fifty- one perches.

An unsuccessful effort was made to have this road extended to Catawissa in 1778, but this was not accomplished until 1784. How tardy was the development of the country at this period is shown by the fact that at the latter date, ten years after this road from Sunbury to Danville had been laid out, it was opened but five miles from Sunbury.

The first proceedings for the opening of a road from Sunbury up Sha- mokin creek were instituted at February sessions, 1775. Geiger's mill was the only one in the valley at that date; and the petitioners state that "to come to the only mill in their neighborhood, as well as to the town of Sun- bury" they were obliged to pass through "low or level lands" upon which "a number of people" were "daily making improvements and fencing in the level lands." They therefore prayed the court to have a road laid out "from William Winter's land the most convenient way to Geiger's mill and from thence to the town of Sunbury." Aaron Wilkerson, Robert Fitzrandolph, William Baker, Thomas Runyon, Valentine Geiger, and Anthony Hinkle were appointed as viewers; at May sessions they reported having laid out a road "beginning at a white-oak marked N. B. on William Winter's land," thence by Geiger's mill to Sunbury, which was ordered to be opened the breadth of fifty feet. As the usual breadth was thirty-three feet, this was evidently regarded as an important highway.

As previously stated, a road from Sunbury to Lycoming was ordered laid out at the second court of general quarter sessions after the organization of the county. A considerable period elapsed before the order of court was carried into execution, however. Under date of May 29, 1776, Samuel Wal- lis, an early settler at Muncy and one of the most prominent and influential citizens of the West Branch valley, informed the court that "the inhabitants

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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

of this county in general have for a long time past labored under great incon- veniences by having the common way frequently stopped up at the will and pleasure of those who are settled along it;" and at February sessions, 1778, a petition was read, stating that "by accidents and other delays no road has yet been opened, to the manifest and great inconvenience of the inhabit- ants." Joseph Wallis, George Silverthorn, Andrew Russell, James Harri- son, John Scott, and James McMahan were appointed as viewers, but there is no record of their proceedings. The "Great Runaway" and the harassing experiences of the following years obviated any necessity for public highways in the West Branch valley for some time afterward. At August sessions, 1785, a petition numerously signed was submitted to the court, praying that a road might be laid out from Samuel Wallis's by Henry Shoemaker's mills to Northumberland; it was referred to James McMahan, James Carscaddon, William Mc Williams, Jacob Follmer, Jacob Hill, and John Robb, who reported at February sessions, 1786, that "notwithstanding the many advan- tages the said road would be to the inhabitants in the forks, yet the same was retarded at the first by the order not being issued until the November court following, since which time the inclemency of the weather and other incumbrances disabled us to fully comply with the said order." There was evidently some lack of harmony (perhaps this was one of the "incum- brances"), and Henry Billeigh and John Alexander were substituted for John Robb and James McMahan, respectively. But this did not entirely obviate disagreements; their order was continued and they proceeded there- on "unanimously from the place of beginning to Mr. James Harrison's, but disputes there arising which was the nearest and best way to proceed, and much time being spent in determining the same without coming to any con- clusion, the viewers declined proceeding to finish the business." A new board, composed of William Fisher, Daniel Montgomery, Richard Martin, Robert Reynolds, William Reed, and James McClung, was thereupon appointed. Under date of August 19, 1786, they presented a report, show- ing the courses and distances from Wolf's run near Wallis's to Northumber- land, a distance of twenty-two and three fourths miles. That part between Wolf's run and James Harrison's and from Chillisquaque meeting house to Northumberland was forthwith confirmed; for the remainder a review was ordered, but not acted upon, and the whole was confirmed at November ses- sions, 1788. In course of time the northern end of this highway acquired the name of "Harrison's road," and its southern end that of "Strawbridge's road."*

* John Smith, John Allen, John Fruit, Samuel Russell, and Thomas Pollock, appointed by the court to lay out a road from the county line to Chillisqnaque through Harrison's gap (virtually a review of " Harrison's road "). made report at August sessions, 1812, "That the old road from the county line to the house of James Logan will answer, and thence running from the house of said Logan south forty-nine degrees east forty perches to a small branch of Chillisqnaque creek through lands of said Logan; thence south twenty-nine degrees east twenty perches through lands of said Logan and to the line of the Widow Watts's land; thence south three degrees east fifty-two perches

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INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

A propensity to obstruct the highways was not confined to the West Branch, as is evident from a petition from Mahanoy township considered at March sessions, 1779. In the informal manner with which the necessities of public conveniences were provided, a road had been opened from Stone- braker's mill to the Gap church, which, the petition recites, " John Chob hath fenced up, .. .. .. so that the neighbors can not go to the mills or to the church, which is no advantage to him but a great disadvantage to many of the neigh- bors." Martin Kerstetter, Dietrick Rough, Michael Lenker, John Wolf, Martin Thomas, and Michael Shaffer were appointed to lay out a road for public use, "upon condition that the petitioners open, fence, clear, survey, and support said road at their own expense." Under date of April 6, 1779, they reported having laid out a road from the mouth of Mahantango to Stonebraker's mill, which was confirmed, June 21, 1779. This was the first road in the valley of that creek on the Northumberland county side.

As opened in 1769, the Tulpehocken road extended to the Susquehanna at Samuel Weiser's near the mouth of Mahanoy creek. No effort appears to have been made to continue it to Sunbury until 1782; in a petition pre- sented to the court at February sessions in that year the following interesting paragraph occurs :-

We are informed by good authority that Robert Martin, of Northumberland-Town, and Ennion Williams, of the city of Philadelphia, have lately set on foot subscriptions in said city and other places in order to raise a sum of money to be applied toward opening said road; which subscriptions have met the approbation of a great number of gentlemen, who have generously subscribed thereto to the amount of two hundred pounds.

Among those who indorsed this petition were Matthew Smith, prothono- tary of the county; Stephen Chambers and John Vannost, attorneys; Samuel Hunter, William Cooke, Daniel Montgomery, Robert Martin, Joseph Lorentz, William Gray, George Wolf, and Abraham Dewitt. They suggested a high- way to intersect the Tulpehocken road four or five miles above its terminus on the Susquehanna and continue thence to Mahantango creek. As viewers were appointed John Eckert, Peter Ferst, Henry Crips, George Wolf, Peter Hall, Jacob Conrad, and Matthew Smith, with Jonathan Lodge as surveyor. Their report, dated March 14, 1782, was confirmed at May sessions following, so far as the road from Sunbury to the Tulpehocken road was concerned; against that part between the Tulpehocken road and Mahantango creek the inhabitants of Mahanoy township remonstrated, and it was not confirmed until May sessions, 1785. The road thus opened became the principal route of travel between Sunbury and the southern part of the county, Lancaster, and

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History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Part 32

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- ed; John, J. J., 1829- Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago, Brown, Runk Number of Pages: 1424

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- ed; John, J. J., 1829-
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1424