History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Part 57

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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Taggarts & Howell, manufacturers of muck-bar and skelp iron, steel and iron nails, are the successors of C. A. Godcharles & Company, by whom the works were established in 1884. Upon the dissolution of that firm in 1888 the plant was purchased by M. H. Taggart, from whom it passed to the pres- ent proprietors on the 1st of October, 1889. The building is two hundred fifty feet in length, with two wings, one hundred eighty by eighty and two hundred by eighty feet, respectively; the plant comprises ten double pud dling furnaces, two heating furnaces, and ninety-five nail machines, which afford a daily capacity of eight hundred kegs of nails. Two hundred oper- atives are employed.

The blast furnace on the line of the Lackawanna railroad at the eastern limits of the borough was built by a Mr. Marsh, of Lewisburg, but has never been operated with the exception of a brief period.

The Northumberland Car Works were erected in 1872 by a company of which A. C. Simpson was the first president and William T. Forsyth the first treasurer, and occupied a location near the North Branch at the out- skirts of the borough. In 1874 the plant was purchased at sheriff's sale by

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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

C. A. Godcharles & Company; after protracted litigation the buildings were removed, and now constitute part of the nail mill of Taggarts & Howell.

Flour Mills .- Charles Houghton's flour mill at the corner of Fifth street and West Way was erected some years since, but is not operated at this time (1890). A. O. Van Alen's flour mill, built in 1890, is situated at the corner of West Way and Fourth street.

SCHOOLS.

The following particulars regarding the early schools of Northumberland were contributed to the " Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for 1877" by John F. Wolfinger, of Milton :-

In 1798, or thereabouts, the first school house at this point, a log structure, thirty by thirty feet in size and one story high, was built on the corner of Wheatley and Park alleys, in the northern part of the town, and so was called the " Wheatley school house" or " Alley school house," in after years. Among the families who sent their children to this school, we have the names of Cowden, Forsyth, Frick, Hepburn, Priestley, Shannon, and Wheatley. The name of the first teacher and his successors are un- known. But in 1814, George Bowdery taught there, and he was succeeded by William Leathern and James Aiken. In 1802, or thereabout, the second school house, also a log structure, twenty-four by thirty feet in size, was built in the southeastern part of the town. Its first teacher was a Mr. Wiley, and his successors were the Rev. William Christie, George Bowdery, Mr. Train, James Forest, Edward Chapman, Rev. William R. Smith, and John Bear. The writer of this sketch was one of Forest's scholars, and the families that then sent children to this school bore the names of Albright, Boyd, Campbell, Chapman, Chappell, Crutchley, De Gruchy, Gaskins, Jackson, Lee, Leighou, Lloyd, McClintock, Morris, Newberry, Norbury, Waples, Waters, Weimer, Wilson, and Zeitler. In 1819 Samuel Kirkham, the author of "Kirkham's English Grammar," taught school for one or two quarters in the Northumberland " town hall," being the second story of the town's "market house," that stood in the center of the square, im- mediately in front of the present residence of Dr. Joseph Priestley. Iu this " hall," now gone, the writer went to Kirkham's school, who (Kirkham) boarded with the writer's father, Henry Wolfinger, who then kept tavern in the brick house now occu- pied by Doctor Priestley.

In 1803, " The Northumberland Academy," an ornamental two-story brick build- ing, was built on the corner of West Way and Second streets, on the west side of the town, mainly through the efforts of the celebrated Dr. Joseph Priestley, the English chemist and philosopher, who had some years before emigrated from England, and made this town of Northumberland his last earthly home. The Rev. William Christie, a Unitarian clergyman, was the first principal of this academy, and his successors were the Rev. Isaac Grier, his son, Robert C. Grier (afterward a lawyer and one of the judges of the Supreme court of the United States), the Rev. Robert F. N. Smith, and Rev. Elijah D. Plumb. Among the scholars of this old academy, now gone, we find the names of William B. Sprague, James Thompson, William Montgomery, Charles G. Donnel, Abraham S. Wilson, George A. Frick, aud George A. Snyder (a son of Gover- nor Simon Snyder), all of whom became men of note in different departments of life.

Thomas Cooper was prominently connected with the educational interests of the town at the beginning of this century. Rev. William Christie, for- merly of Winchester, Virginia, was induced to locate at Northumberland

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largely through his efforts and those of Doctor Priestley, and opened his first school at this place on the 6th of July, 1801, at the residence of Mr. Cooper. The latter gentleman also formulated the petition to the legislature for an appropriation in aid of the academy. This document recites that four thousand dollars had been expended upon the building; that the sum of one thousand eighty-three dollars was due the treasurer, four hundred dollars had been advanced by James Hepburn, and an equal sum was due the workmen employed upon the building; and that Rev. Joseph Priestley had offered to donate his library of four thousand volumes to the institution upon certain conditions with which the legislature was asked to comply. Jesse Moore was then a Representative from Northumberland county, and through his support an appropriation of two thousand dollars was secured.

On the 25th of February, 1792, Reuben Haines executed a conveyance to James Hepburn, James Davidson, and William Cooke, "trustees of Union school," for lot No. 59, on the east side of Market street near Third, at the nominal consideration of five shillings. In 1801-02, Thomas Whittaker taught the " Union school." This may have been one of the school build- ings referred to by by Mr. Wolfinger.

The public school system was adopted in 1834, and for some years there- after the schools were conducted at small buildings in different parts of the borough. The present substantial and commodious building on Second street between Market and Orange is a brick structure one hundred by six- ty-four feet in dimensions, with six apartments on the first floor and three main rooms with two recitation rooms on the second floor. The work of construction was begun in 1870, and the board at that time was composed of Charles B. Renninger, W. H. Leighou, D. M. Brautigam, John H. Vincent, J. C. Chestney, and J. O. Tracy; the completed building was opened in Jan- uary, 1872, with the following corps of teachers: principal, B. F. Hughes; assistant principal, C. M. Lesher; secondary grades: Miss D. L. Huzzey and Miss S. J. Gossler; primary grades: Miss Fannie Housel and Miss Leisen- ring.

LOCAL JOURNALISM.

The Sunbury aud Northumberland Gazette was established in 1792 by Andrew Kennedy and continued as late as 1817. It was the first news- paper in Northumberland county. In 1802 John Binns started the Repub- lican Argus, in the publication of which he was succeeded by Matthew and Andrew C. Huston. George Sweney published the Columbia Gazette in 1813, and in 1818 Rev. Robert F. N. Smith edited the Religious Museum. Alex- ander Hughes and others published the Northumberland Union in 183-, and after its suspension there was no local paper until 1872, when the Public Press was established by C. W. Gutelius, the present proprietor.

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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

SECRET AND OTHER SOCIETIES.

The following secret and other societies were organized or instituted at the respective dates: Northumberland Lodge, No. 196, I. O. O. F., August 17, 1846; Eureka Lodge, No. 404, F. & A. M., February 3, 1868; Chillis- quaque Tribe, No. 152, I. O. R. M., 1872; Onward Lodge, No. 179, K. of P., August 26, 1879; Captain James Taggart Post, No. 350, G. A. R., June 20, 1883; John Brautigam Camp, No. 51, S. of V., September 13, 1883; Washington Camp, No. 374, P. O. S. of A., November 21, 1888; Pilgrims' Conclave, No. 30, S. P. K., December 19, 1887.

CHURCHES.

First Presbyterian Church .- The earliest record of Presbyterian services at Northumberland is that contained in the journal of Philip V. Fithian, a licentiate, who made a missionary tour through the frontier counties of Pennsylvania in the summer of 1775. On Sunday, the 2d of July, he held services at the house of Laughlin McCartney, and on Thursday, July 20th, at the house of Mr. Chattam on North Way.

Whether an organization had been formed at that early date can not be satisfactorily determined; but there was a large and influential Presbyterian element in the community, and it is not improbable that the formal election of elders may have occurred. On the 31st of May, 1787, seventeen members of the Northumberland church, eight from Sunbury, and forty-eight from Buffalo, on behalf of their respective congregations, united in a call to the Rev. Hugh Morrison, who was accordingly installed; a clause in this call- " having never in these parts had the stated administration of the Gospel ordinances "-establishes conclusively the fact that Mr. Morrison was their first regular pastor. Under his administration it is supposed that the first church edifice was erected; this was a log structure located near the site of the present town hall on Market street. Rev. Isaac Grier, S. T. D., who died at Northumberland on the 22d of August, 1814, was Mr. Morrison's successor; he was followed by Reverends Robert F. N. Smith, William R. Ashmead, William R. Smith, Wheelock S. Stone, and William R. Smith, all of whom included Sunbury and Northumberland and possibly the churches of Shamo- kin and Hollowing Run in the field of their labors.

In 1838 a division in the church occurred, the new organization taking the present name with Rev. John Patton as first pastor. It was popularly known as the "new school," while the other received the corresponding designation of " old school." The former erected the present brick edifice on Queen street in 1840-44; the brick structure on Market street now occupied as a town hall was built by the " old school " and used as a place of worship until 1870, after which it was diverted to its present purposes. In September, 1870, the two branches united; Rev. A. D. Moore, pastor of the "new school "

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· congregation, continued in charge of the resulting organization, for which a new session was elected. The present pastor is Rev. J. D. Fitzgerald.

The Sunday school was organized on the first Sunday of April, 1816, by Misses Mary Jenkins and Sarah Boyd. For some years it was conducted in a log school house on Wheatley alley between Front and Second streets.

Methodist Episcopal Church .- The Northumberland circuit, embracing the entire West Branch valley and extensive contiguous territory, was formed on the 6th of May, 1791, at a meeting of the Methodist Episcopal conference at Baltimore, Maryland. Reverends Richard Parrott and Lewis Browning were appointed to this field in 1791, but if there was an organized society at Northumberland at that date, no records relating to it are known to be extant. The places of worship were probably private houses, school houses, and pos- sibly the old market house. By a conveyance executed on the 10th of June, 1819, Samuel Shannon and Margaret his wife deeded to Abraham Dawson, Christian Heck, Eli Diemer, and Jacob R. Shepherd, of Northumberland, and John Macpherson, of East Buffalo township, Union county, Pennsylvania, as trustees, a lot of ground on the east side of Third street between Market and Orange, at the nominal consideration of one dollar and upon condition that they should "erect and build or cause to be erected and built thereon a house or place of worship for the use of the Methodist Episcopal church." A frame structure was accordingly constructed, and served as a church building until 1856, when the present brick edifice at the corner of Market and Front streets. was erected during the pastorate of Rev. Joseph A. Ross and under the super- vision of a building committee composed of Conrad Wenck, Joseph Johnson, and James Scott. The dedication occurred on the 23d of November in that year. It was extensively repaired in 1867 and reopened on the 17th of No- vember in that year. The commodious parsonage, which occupied an adjoin- ing lot, was built in 1889.

Northumberland became a station in 1865, and has had the following pastors since that date: 1865-66, Henry G. Dill; 1867, W. H. Dill; 1868- 69, J. F. Ockerman; 1870-72, B. F. Stevens; 1873-75, James Hunter; 1876-77, G. Warren; 1878-80, Martin L. Drum; 1881-82, E. T. Swartz; 1883, William C. Hesser; 1883-85, James Hunter; 1886-87, Bartholomew P. King; 1888-90, Joseph D. W. Deavor, present incumbent.

Unitarian Church .- The doctrines of this church were first disseminated in central Pennsylvania by Rev. Joseph Priestley, who preached at Northum- berland in a log school house near his residence on North Way. Rev. William Christie was the next resident Unitarian clergyman, but the first regular pastor was probably the Rev. James Kay, who preached at Northumberland from 1822 until his death in the autumn of 1847. A union church building that occupied the site of the present Lutheran edifice was the place of worship for some years. In 1834, at a nominal consideration, John Taggart and Hannah his wife executed a deed to Daniel M. Brautigam, Joseph R. Priestley,

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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

Charles Gale, John Leighou, Hugh Bellas, Christopher Woods, James Gas- ton, and John Taggart for the ground on the east side of Second street between Market and Orange upon which the present brick Unitarian church is situated. Reverends Weston, McDaniel, Lathrop, Porter, Billings, Lane, Boarse, Catlin, and others succeeded Mr. Kay as pastor; since 1878 services have been regularly continued by the ladies of the congregation, who have also sustained a Sunday school.

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church .- The lot upon which the church edifice is situated was donated by John Lowdon and William Patter- son on the 27th of August, 1772, but no building for religious worship was erected thereon until 1817. The brick for this structure were made by Fred- erick Burkenbine, and laid by Levi Myers and Charles Maus; John Richt- stine was architect and foreman of the carpenter work; the building committee consisted of Jacob Dentler and John Leighou for the Lutheran congregation, J. S. Haines and John P. De Gruchy, Episcopalians, and Jacob Urban, Re- formed. The corner-stone was laid, July 6, 1817, and the dedication occurred, August 30, 1818, in which services the Reverend Hendel, a Re- formed minister of Lebanon, Rev. J. P. Shindel, a Lutheran minister of Sunbury, Rev. Robert F. N. Smith, the Presbyterian minister of Northum- berland, and Reverend Schnee, a Lutheran minister of Pittsburgh, partici- pated. Rev. J. P. Shindel was the first Lutheran and Rev. Martin Bruner the first Reformed pastor after the erection of the church edifice.

About 1820 Rev. Elijah D. Plumb, an Episcopal minister, began to hold regular services, and continued until his death a few years later. Rev. J. P. Shindel continued as Lutheran pastor until 1823, at which time the church became financially embarrassed. Appeals were made through Henry Ren- ninger for immediate relief, but a sufficient amount to liquidate the debt of three hundred eighty-five dollars six cents, still due Mr. Richtstine for work on the church building, was not furnished. Suit was brought by Mr. Richt- stine, as the result of which a levy was made on the church property, Febru- ary 1, 1823. The sale took place on the 16th of June following, when the property was purchased by Hugh Bellas, attorney for the church and a Unitarian in faith, who paid the debt and deeded the building to the differ- ent denominations to be used by them for religious worship three fourths of the time, retaining a one fourth interest for the Unitarian congregation. In 1834 money was collected by the trustees of the Lutheran and Reformed congregations, and half of the lot, then owned by William A. Lloyd, was purchased, thus securing the church property for these congregations. They jointly called the Rev. E. Meyer, a Reformed minister of Danville, who served both congregations in 1839. Upon his resignation both appear to have disbanded.

During the year 1847 Rev. R. Weiser reorganized the Lutheran element with the following officers: John Leisenring and Henry Wenck, trustees;

D. Herina

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John Diehl and Henry Wenck, elders, and Samuel Williard and Michael Barnhart, deacons. The reorganization took place in the market house on account of the dilapidated condition of the church building. Mr. Weiser preached occasionally, but the congregation was destitute of regular pastoral ministration until 1848, when Rev. M. J. Alleman took charge and remained until 1850; he continued as a supply, however, until July, 1852. Under his administration the house of worship was repaired, the Reformed congrega- tion disposing of their lot, on the northeast corner of Queen and Fourth streets, in order to secure means for their portion of the necessary expense. Rev. P. Born, D. D., was called as the next Lutheran pastor and entered upon his duties, August 1, 1858, at which time the remnant of the Reformed con- gregation united with the Lutherans. From that date until 1871 this church formed part of the Sunbury charge, and was served by the following minis- ters: Reverends P. Born, D. D., P. Rizer, M. Rhodes, D. D., and G. W. Hem- perley ; since 1871 it has constituted a separate charge, and the pastoral succes- sion has been as follows: Rev. E. E. Berry, 1871 to April 1, 1876; E. B. Killinger, September, 1876, to August, 1884; J. A. Koser, January 1, 1885, to July 31, 1888, and A. N. Warner, the present incumbent, who assumed charge on the 1st of December, 1888.

The present church edifice, a substantial brick structure, was erected at a cost of eleven thousand dollars in pursuance of congregational action taken at a meeting on the 18th of November, 1877. The church numbers two hun- dred eighty communicant members; the Sunday school has a numerical strength of three hundred, and is superintended by Dr. J. W. Sheets.

St. Mark's Protestant Episcopal Church .- Regarding the early families of Episcopal faith at Northumberland definite information is exceedingly meager. It seems probable that they were connected with Christ church at Milton, which was represented in the diocesan convention of 1794 by Bernard Hubley, an ex-Revolutionary officer and a man of prominence in military and business affairs at Northumberland. John P. De Gruchy and J. S. Haines, as Episcopalians, were members of the committee under which the union church was built in 1817-18, and after its completion a parish appears to have been organized under the name of St. John's with Rev. Elijah D. Plumb as rector. It seems more probable, however, that no organization was effected until 1847, when the present frame church building at the corner of Market and Second streets was erected. The parish was incorporated, August 17, 1860, upon petition of Henry Haas, Joseph Priestley, John Hilbert, John F. Kapp, George Merrick, Amos E. Kapp, M. J. D. Withington, and C. F. Little. From 1847 to 1870 it was connected with the Sunbury parish, and the succession of rectors was as follows: Rev. B. Wistar Morris, 1847-50; William B. Musgrave, 1850-51; William W. Montgomery, 1852-55; J. W. Gougler, 1856-59; Theophilus Riley, 1859; Lewis Gibson, 1860-66, and Charles H. Vandyne, 1867-69. Reverend Moore became the resident rector in

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1870; he was succeeded in 1872 by Rev. Charles G. Adams, who resigned in 1875. Since that date the parish has been vacant, although services have been occasionally rendered by the rector in charge of St. Matthew's at Sun- bury. The church edifice was remodeled during Mr. Adams's administration.

The Baptist Church was organized, July 7, 1842, as the result of a revival conducted by Reverends C. H. Hewit and Jesse Saxton; the constitu- ent members were John Budd, Mary M. Budd, Sarah Garrison, William Reed, Rachel Reed, Catharine Miles, Ann Burke, Charity Burke, William Leighou, Augustus Leighou, Charles Morgan, Jesse Smith, Jacob Deatz, Brooks Epley, Washington Newbury, John ErIston, Mrs. Susan Deatz, Mary Smith, Elizabeth Smith, Margaret Smith, Susanna Smith, Susan Deatz, Elizabeth Erlston, Jane Hullihen, Ann Lesher, Mary Morgan, Deborah Wal- lace, Sophia Huff, Susanna Stamm, Elizabeth Dill, Harriet Waters, Sarah Watts, Susanna Newberry, Samuel Deatz, and Mary Ann Hullihen. The succession of pastors and supplies has been as follows: Reverends C. H. Hewit, A. J. Hay, F. Bower, A. B. Still, J. Green Miles, George J. Bren- singer, Caleb Davidson, Howard Malcom, Mr. Frear, George W. Folwell, Mr. Mitson, J. E. Lagebeer, A. L. More, A. C. Wheat, D. Williams, B. B. Henshey, W. J. Hunter, R. B. McDaniel, J. L. Miller, D. Trites, G. A. Peltz, L. W. Zeigler, George F. McNair, J. P. Tustin, and J. H. Haslam. Prior to the organization regular services were first held in 1822 by Rev. Henry Clark.

Two lots at the corner of Queen and Second streets were deeded by Reu- ben Haines on the 29th of October, 1792, to Samuel Miles and Theodore Shields, trustees appointed by the Baptist church of Second street, Philadel- phia, on the 5th of July, 1784. The first church building erected thereon was a one-story brick structure; it was superseded in 1870, during the pas- torate of Rev. J. Green Miles, by the present substantial brick edifice.

CEMETERIES.

The cemeteries of Northumberland possess great historic interest. Lots were reserved at the founding of the town for the various religious denomi- nations, and these were early used for burial purposes. That of the Presby- terians is the largest in extent; among those interred here is Robert Crown- over (born, December 7, 1755; died, October 29, 1846), the well known Revolutionary guide and scout; Joseph Haines (born, August 15, 1764; died, May 14, 1795), evidently a connection of the family by which the town plot was once owned, is buried in the rear of the Lutheran church; and many old families are here represented, while the number of mounds at which there is no legible tombstone attests the fact that interments were made in these burial grounds at an early period in the history of the West Branch valley. At the present time, the Catholic cemetery alone is inclosed and cared for; it is to be regretted that public indifference has permitted the desecration of these hallowed spots.

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MILTON.

The Northumberland Cemetery Company was incorporated on the 26th of March, 1853; the corporators were Joseph R. Priestley, Daniel M. Brau- tigam, William H. Waples, Amos E. Kapp, William Forsyth, John Taggart, James Taggart, and Jesse C. Horton. The grounds, comprising twenty acres in the northeastern part of the borough, were laid out by Dr. R. B. Mckay. The first president of the company was Joseph R. Priestley, the first vice- president, Jacob Leisenring, and first secretary and treasurer, Daniel M. Brautigam. The first board of managers, elected on the 6th of January, 1855, was composed of Joseph R. Priestley, Daniel M. Brautigam, Amos E. Kapp, Jesse C. Horton, William H. Waples, William T. Forsyth, and Jacob Leisenring.

CHAPTER XVI.

MILTON .*

PIONEER HISTORY-THE TOWN .PLAT-INHABITANTS FROM 1804 TO 1808-TAXABLES IN 1818 BOROUGH GOVERNMENT-THE POSTOFFICE-FACILITIES OF TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION-GENERAL BUSINESS INTERESTS-INDUSTRIES OF THE PAST AND PRESENT-FLOODS AND FIRES SECRET AND OTHER SOCIETIES-CHURCHES- SUNDAY SCHOOLS-MISCELLANEOUS MORAL AND HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS- EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS-LOCAL PAPERS-CEMETERIES.

T THAT part of Northumberland county above the Montour ridge is justly considered one of the finest agricultural regions in the valley of the West Branch. The scenery is agreeably varied, the drainage is excellent, the soil is fertile and productive. At the mouth of Limestone run, a stream of relatively greater geographical importance than its volume would indicate, is situated the borough of Milton, the commercial, educational, and relig- ious center of this region. Founded in 1792, it has experienced in the cent- ury that is nearly closed much of slow expansion and moderate prosperity, of rapid business and industrial development, no less than dire disaster and overwhelming misfortune, from which the recuperative energies of its peo- ple have built the Milton of to-day. By the census of 1890 the population was five thousand three hundred seventeen.

PIONEER HISTORY.

Within a few years after the purchase of 1768 the valley of the West Branch was marked by the presence of the adventurous pioneer, and to this class belonged Marcus Hulings, Jr., who secured the "Big Island" in the

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History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Part 57

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