USA > Pennsylvania > Perry County > History of Perry County, in Pennsylvania : from the earliest settlement to the present time > Part 10
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Under the pauper system, as it was appropri- ately called, there was a distinction, making an en- vious comparison between the rich and poor ; so marked was this difference that it was the basis for two classes. The poor could hardly ever hope to rise from the stigma that was placed upon them . by the aid intended to be a blessing.
After the Act of 1834, arrangements were made
142
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
for building school-houses in every settled portion of the county ; school-directors were elected who supervised the building of these houses, and select- ed teachers after an examination by the most com- petent of their own number, or some other person chosen by a majority of them.
Educational meetings previous to the adoption of the county superintendency in 1854, consisted in old-fashioned spelling and singing-schools. These had a healthy social influence on society, beside, in the former, much pride in spelling was created.
As an instance of one of these school meetings, we have a notice in the Forester, signed by Wm. B. Mitchell, Jesse Miller and Jacob Fritz, school- men. This meeting was advertised to be held May 7, 1825, and was no doubt intended to carry out the provisions of the Act of 1825, which had been previously printed in the columns of the same paper.
4
143
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
CHAPTER II.
THE SUPERINTENDENCY.
Rev. Adam R. Height, of Mechanicsburg, Cum- berland county, accepted the call of the Lutheran charge of New Bloomfield and vicinity, and com- menced his pastoral duties on the Ist of March, 1854. He continued to exercise the privilege of his calling until the meeting of synod at Shrewsbury, York county, Pa. In the following September, he was superseded by Rev. David H. Focht.
Rev. Height came to Perry in season to receive the lead of educational affairs in the county under the Act creating the county superintendency. The" first triennial school convention met in the court- house, New Bloomfield, on the 5th of June, 1854. The officers elected were Joseph Baily, President, and James L. Diven, Secretary.
A motion was made to fix the salary at $600, which was voted down, and the salary finally fixed at $300 per annum.
NOMINATIONS.
BALLOTS.
Ist.
2d.
3d.
Rev. A. R. Height, Bloomfield,
42
47
William Brown, Penn township,
33
42
49
Rudolphus Heim, Landisburg, Albert A. Owen,
6
II W.
I6
W.
Henry Titzel, Juniata township,
4
W.
H. G. Milans, Bloomfield,
W.
Solomon Bingham,
W.
Daniel Brink, Liverpool,
W.
.
I44
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
Rev. Height, elected by a majority of two votes, was commissioned soon after in the same month, and entered upon the actual duties of the office, the examination of teachers, in September.
Rev. Height's administration of school affairs shows him to have been zealous of their improve- ment, prompt and efficient in the discharge of. his official duty. He used the press more extensively than any of his successors in office, and through it by making reports of visits and by giving sugges- tions, accomplished more than he received credit for doing, for in the succeeding convention he was defeated.
At the second triennial convention, which met in May, 1857, Rev. Theodore P. Bucher, a graduate of Pennsylvania College, was elected to succeed Superintendent Height. Rev. Bucher was a native of Cumberland county ; he came to Perry county while a boy to serve as a clerk in Thatcher's store, at Newport. His studious and exemplary habits attracted the attention of the church 'of which he was a member, whose aid was thus invoked toward his collegiate education. Rev. Bucher had but re- cently completed his theological studies, when he was elected to fill the position of county superin- tendent.
During Superintendent Bucher's administration of school affairs, he was engaged in teaching dur- ing the summer in Mt. Dempsy Academy, Landis- burg. The plan of visiting and examining teachers pursued by his predecessor was followed in the main.
145
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
A teachers' institute, at which were present Profs. Fordyce A. Allen and B. F. Taylor, of Chester county, was held during the holiday week of 1858, in the court-house, Bloomfield. This meeting was attended by many teachers from the various sections of the county, and was the first educational meeting attended by the writer, then a mere boy attending public school.
Superintendent Bucher resigned during the sum- mer of 1859, and was succeeded by the appoint- ment of Prof. Lewis Barnett Kerr, a native of Tuscarora township, whose commission dated from September 1, 1859. Mr. Kerr filled the unexpired term with such acceptance as to be elected at the third triennial convention, which met in May of 1860.
The educational work had progressed with such success up to this time, that there was a corps of teachers, in 1860, equal to the best that had ever been engaged in the schools of the county.
During the winter of 1860, three teachers' insti- tutes were held, one at Landisburg, one at Peters- burg, and another at Liverpool. These were all well attended. At the institute held at Landisburg, Prof. J. P. Wickersham, of the State Normal School, at Lancaster, was present, and gave instruction by drills and lectures.
In the superintendent's annual report for 1860, ten district institutes are mentioned as having been in operation, of which special prominence is given to the ones held in Liverpool, Madison and Penn. The school interest of the second and last 7
146
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
years of Superintendent Kerr's administration became subsidiary to the all absorbing subject of war, which called from the school-room, workshop, and farm, the bravest and best. To supply the schools with teachers', inexperienced boys and young women were called into the ranks during the continuance of the war.
The fourth triennial convention met in Bloom- field, May 4th, 1863. An organization was effect- ed by electing Major Kirk Haines, President, and Chas. A. Barnett and Wm. J. Stewart, Esqs., Secretaries.
There were present 82 of the 156 directors, rep- resenting the school districts of the county. Rye, Buffalo, Jackson and Toboyne townships were not represented. The convention proceeded to fill the office of county superintendent.
NOMINATIONS.
BALLOTS.
Ist 2d 3d
Jacob Gantt, Millerstown, 25
Wm. R. Cisna, Madison,
L. B. Kerr, Tuscarora,
L. O. Foose, Juniata, IO 2 W.
27 29 38 48 28 32 34 16 19 19 7 37 34 S. H. Galbraith, Bloomfield, 3 2 W. 4th 5th
Motions to fix the salary; Henry Hopple moved the salary be $300; John Gray $300; C. S. Smith, $200, and John Wright $500. The vote was taken on each, until it was finally fixed at $300. This was $100 lower than had been paid to the previous superintendent.
During Superintendent Gantt's term, the special Act appropriating money from the county treasury to defray the expenses of one annual county teach- ers' institute was extended to Perry.
147
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
The salary was raised from $300 to $500, by a convention assembled for that purpose. Superin- tendent Gantt held county institutes at Bloomfield, Millerstown and Newport. District institutes were held in most of the townships in the county.
The fifth school convention met May, 1866, and elected, over Jacob Gantt and George W. Leisher, on the third ballot, Silas Wright, a native of Greenwood township. Mr. Wright was the first and then the only graduate of a State normal school, and not yet twenty-five years of age. His administration of school affairs was fearlessly ag- gressive, and brought out the croakers more than once through the columns of the county press.
The county teachers' institute held at Bloom- field during the holiday weeks of December, 1866, and 1867, and the one at Newport, during the same time for 1868, signalized a new era in the educa- tional history of these associations. The best in- structors were commanded from abroad, while, at the same time, home talent was allowed to evince itself.
Juniata Valley Normal School was first opened, for a summer session, at Newport, in April, 1867 it was opened in Millerstown in 1868, where it has been continued ever since. This school was be- gun and is still continued under the principalship of Silas Wright.
The sixth annual convention, May, 1869, was attended by seventy-six of the one hundred and sixty-eight school directors of the county. Four candidates were presented at this convention :
148
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
Lewis B. Kerr being elected over Silas Wright on the eleventh ballot, by eight votes. Educational pro- gress during this administration of the school su- perintendency, is shown in better school-houses and in higher salaries to teachers ; but it is feared the average efficiency of the teachers hardly ex- hibits a proportional increase.
The seventh triennial convention, which met in Bloomfield on the 7th of May, 1872, was repre- sented by 98 school directors, being from 25 dis- tricts. Howe, Watts and New Buffalo were un- represented. The salary was voted $700 per an- num. Gardner C. Palm, of Loysville, George C. Welker, of Liverpool, and Silas Wright, of Millers- town, were put in nomination. George C. Welker was elected over G. C. Palm, on the third ballot, by a majority of 8.
Jesse Miller was born in Millerstown, Perry county, Pa., in 1800. He became successively High Sheriff, State legislator, member of Congress, member of State Board of Canal Commissioners, Auditor of the Treasury Department, at Washing- ton, and finally Secretary of the Commonwealth and Superintendent of Common Schools during the administration of Governor Shunk.
Mr. Miller is believed to have first directly sug- gested to the Legislature of Penn'a, the plan of each county having its own superintendent of the public schools. This was enacted into a law and approved by the Governor, March 6th, 1854. Hon. Jesse Miller died Aug. 20th, 1850, in the 5 Ist year of his age, He was a self-made man, in the educational
I49
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
acceptation of the term, having had none other than common-school advantages for an education. He was a man of indomitable will, and supplied the lack of all else by superior energy and industry.
The greatest hindrances to the cause of free edu- cation in Perry county, are short annual terms, an average of 4.3 months in 1871; low salaries, $50 per month being the highest for the same year, and, as a result, inexperienced teachers. Many districts exhibit a commendable interest in the work that have not yet made any considerable advance. The graded school is slowly but surely working its way into the favor of the people, and we look confident- ly forward to the time when every district will have its own high school, presided over by a principal who shall be the superintendent of that district by virtue of his office.
The general intelligence of Perry county is equal to that of any of the adjoining counties ; yet we recognize the fact that much remains to be done. We have built school-houses, in many instances, on grounds unsuitable, more to literally fulfill the requirements of the law, than to well subserve the purposes intended ; but better sentiments begin to pervade the public mind as the necessity for an education becomes greater. Outline maps and magnetic globes are found in the majority of the schools, and there is not one district, in the whole county, in which the school-houses are not sup- plied with blackboards of some kind.
150
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
EDUCATIONAL-TABULAR STATEMENT.
-
Year.
Monthly Salary of Teachers.
No. Months .......
No. Schools ......
Female Teachers
No of
in any District ...
Highest Salary
No. of Pupils.
each per month.
Cost of instruct'g
1836
17 8373
13 75
2
3 65
0
$16 00
III 3262
42
1837
19 44
13 75
2.33
73
5
3471
39
1839
1840
17 15
9 25
3.7
55
4
22 00
2563
1841
18 53
9 00
3.6
96
7
25 00
4448
41
1842
17 31
7 06
3.6
III
9
5602
4372
1843
17 56
9 80
4.66
93
4
4439
4572
1844
17 40
7 16
2
67
6
3451
34
1845
16 60
6 75
4
100
6
5018
3372
1846
15 93
8 90
4.03
98
7
5213
35
1847
16 27
8 00
3.14
120
10
5672
38
1848
16 60
9 00
3.15
122
8
6161
40
1849
15 51
9 87
3.18
120
12
5526
49
1850
18 20
9 40
4.15
115
14
20 00
6701
36
1851
17 16
11 00
4.10
127
15
6573
40
1852
I7 41
IO 87
4
134
18
6400
36
1853
18 50
II 40
4
113
8
5984
47
1854
18 50
II 40
4
138
II
30 00
6666
4334 47
1857
23 16
16 00
4.8
142
IO
28 50
6738
48
1858
24 33
16 84
4.56
148
28
33 75
6967
50
1859
23 04
16 17
4.68
151
17
31 33
6828
55
1860
22 92
238
4.61
155
7
31 33
7027
55
1861
22 13
16 79
4.61
1611/2
8
30 00
7132
55
1862
21 55
16 II
4.1
162
13
27 75
7097
53
1863
21 63
16 78
4.15
166
33
33 00
7338
56
1864
22 80
18 03
4.19
164
20
35 00
7544
56
1865
3º 45
23 55
4
164
39
37 50
7305
69
1866
30 33
24 53
4.07
165
25
38 16
8453
74
1867
32 18
26 47
-4.36
169
31
46 25
7853
78
1868
33 31
28 27
4.23
166
30
55 10
7222
88
1869
34 07
29 84
4.16
165
30
45 00
7274
94
1870
33 93
29 89
4.17
I66
32
50 00
7207
94
1871
33 67
30 00
4.29
169
32
50 00
7254
96
1872
4.4
171
34
60 00
5984
47
1855
22 75
18 72
4.5
1856
22 0I
15 55
4
140
21
30 00
6414
Cts.
1835
Males $16 00
Fem.
$
I
1472
12
24 00
Paid per Month
In 1834 there were twelve districts reported in the county, six accepting and three non-accepting.
In 1836 Perry county was third in order of favor toward the free school system.
In 1837 Greenwood and Millerstown had an average school term of five months.
108
8
1838
151
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
THE STATE APPROPRIATION DUE TO THE DIFFER- ENT DISTRICTS OF PERRY COUNTY.
Districts.
1835
1836
1837
1838
1839
Total.
Bloomfield.
*F
P
P
P
$ 55.03
$ 55.03
Buffalo
+P
P
P
108.76
108.76
Center.
F
P
P
123.65
123.55
Carroll
F
P
P
127.54
127.54
Greenwood.
F
F
P
117.18
117.18
Juniata ..
P
164.44
164-44
Landisburg.
282.92
282.92
Liverpool twp
78.98
354-97
Liverpool bor.
F
Non. ac.|
$73.30
$561.04
160.56
794.90
Oliver
P
P
113.94
113.94
Saville.
P P
P
P
P
83.51
83.51
Wheatfield.
Zimmerman's {
P
P
P
P
152.14
152.14
Madison
| 81904.45 82814.78
* F means forfeited. t P means paid.
P
P
P
147.61
147.61
52.24
52.24
New Germantown ..
F AAAAAAAAA P P P
P
$275.99 P
P
P
Newport
Rye.
1
152
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
SECTION IV .- PHYSICAL.
CHAPTER I.
THE GEOLOGY.
Perry county lies wholly within the central for- mation of the State, and hence from the fact that no coal, except an outcrop of less than six inches in thickness in the end of Berry's Mountain, has yet been discovered, it is fair to infer, that it is of a lower and older formation, most probably the next or Silurian, than the Carboniferous.
Perry county is bounded on the south by the Kittatinny Mountain-the Tuscarora forms the north-western boundary, joining the Kittatinny by spurs. The Susquehanna river completes the boun- dary on the east. Thus it will be seen, that these three prominent and well-defined boundaries en- close the county, in a shape which requires but little imagination to convert into a triangle.
The geological character of this county must be studied in connection with the rock formations east of the Susquehanna river.
Beginning at the base of the Kittatinny Moun- tain at Marysville, we have an inferior series com- posed chiefly of olive colored slate, streaked with strata of gray sandstone. This formation ranges westward; widening east of Landisburg, it sweeps around on the north of the red shale and sandstone of Sherman's creek ; it returns through south-west-
A
-
TUSCARORA
GREENWOOD
. LIVERPOOL LIVERPOOL
MILLERSTOWN
JUNIATA
R
HOWE
BUFFALO
BUFFALO CREEK
R
LIT. BUFFALO.CR.
MILLERS
WATTS
BLOOMFIELD
LIT. JUNIATA.CR
WHEAT FIELDZ
ALE
1
LAANIS BURG
DUNCANNON
Z
S
SHERMANS. CR.
7
0
9 CARROLL
Z-
LAUREL RUN,
RONE
N N
NE
SHERMANSDALĘ
< MARYSVILLE È
CUM
BERLAND.
/
NEWPM
OLIVER
JUNIAT
y ds
P
TO
BROWN.R/
SHERMANS;
R.
DAU PHIN
JUNIAT
A Map of Perry County in 1873.
٦
153
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
ern Saville, thence along Buffalo creek, across the Juniata, extending through Howe and Buffalo townships, reaches the Susquehanna above Halifax. Here it unites with the corresponding formation of the northern basin which extends nearly due west- ward on the north of Bloomfield, to a point on the head of Sherman's creek, near the village of Blain, whence its northern division passes north-eastward through northern Madison, Sandy Hill, Saville, thence south-east through Buckwheat and Sugar Run valleys, crosses the Juniata below Millerstown, reaches the Susquehanna through Greenwood and Liverpool townships, above Liverpool. The outer limits of this series are marked by ranges of hills or ridges containing the coarse fossiliferous sand- stone, below which, in geologic position is the ac- companying limestone.
The red shale which underlies the conglomerate floor of the coal fields extends across the Susque- hanna above Dauphin, forming a cove in Penn township, formerly known as Allen's Cove. The red shale of Lykens Valley extends across the river, and is enclosed by Buffalo and Berry's moun- tains in a triangular-shaped valley, known as Hun- ter's Valley.
The same formation continued on both sides of Buffalo Mountain crosses the river, and is extended between the slate and limestone in the western part of the county. The sandstone which is next in order below the red shale, encloses it in Cove Mountain, which is the union of Peter's and Second Mountain. The same sandstone formation is found
154
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
on the north side of Buffalo, which is an extension of Mohontongo Mountain joining with Berry's Mountain.
These formations, the fossiliferous sandstone with the underlying limestone, extend on the north of the Kittatinny as far as Wagner's Gap, where they pass northward near Landisburg, and then north- eastward by Bloomfield, across the Juniata, on the east of the river ; they then extend south-eastward for a short distance, until they crop to the surface in Howe township, just below John Patterson's, along the river, where lime-kilns have been in op- eration for a number of years. The northern divi- sion of the limestone formation passes westward nearly to Germantown, and then folds back to the north-east, along the base of the Conecocheage and Tuscarora mountains, crosses the Juniata near Millerstown, and extends through Pfoutz's Valley to the Susquehanna.
There are red and variegated shales lying between the limestone and the sandstone, of both the Kitta- tinny and Tuscarora ranges of these series in Perry county.
The following is Mr. Trego's estimate of the quantity of the different kinds of soil :
Limestone,.
18,460 Acres.
Slate,.
104,780
Gravel,
74,710
Sand,
5,040
Mountain and Stony, 68,240 «
Iron Ore,
40
Total
271,270 «
155
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
This calculation is probably based upon an area less than that found by G. M. Hopkins, the civil engineer, who made the surveys and measurements for the excellent and accurate county map of Perry, Juniata and Mifflin, published in 1863, by Smith, Gallup and Hewitt.
Perry county is 47 miles long and 1412 miles of an average width. Its area is 550 square miles, leaving 80,730 acres not assigned to any kind of soil in Mr. Tergo's calculation.
Hematite and Fossil iron ores are now exten- sively mined in Michael's ridge, Greenwood town- ship, Tuscarora Mountains, Tuscarora township, Limestone ridge in Oliver and Miller townships, and Halffall Hills in Buffalo and Watts townships. These are all newly opened mines, and give prom- ise of contributing largely for many years to the chief mineral wealth of the county. The hematite or specular ore found in these mines has a red, earthy appearance. It is as hard as feldspar-yield- ing usually about 70 per cent. of iron. It is not at- tracted by the magnet, and hence has no influence · upon the magnetic needle, unless heated by artifi- cial means.
· Hematite iron ore is generally accompanied by rocks of the metamorphic formation. Limonite, or fossil iron ore, as it is locally known among our miners, is a hydrous sesquioxyd, containing 85.6 of the ore to 14.4 parts of water. It occurs along with alumina, magnesia, or lime, in many varieties. It varies in color from a black or brown to yellowish- brown, and earthy. The color of the powder dis-
156
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
tinguishes this species, as well as the magnetic, from hematite.
The only mineral or mineral products of the coun- ty are iron ore, already described, and limestone, though at various times flattering prospects have been entertained of both coal and petroleum.
The Perry Forester for May, 1827, contains the following: "A very extensive bed of stone coal has been discovered near the mouth of Sherman's creek, in this county, on land belonging to Stephen Duncan, Esq., of Philadelphia. This discovery is another proof that what our county lacks in quan- tity of fertile land, nature has supplied in the inex- haustible wealth contained within the bowels of our mountains."
In October, 1865, two oil companies were or- ganized in Perry county. The one known as Col- ler Oil Company held a lease-hold in Saville town- ship, on the head-waters of Buffalo creek, consisting of one hundred and thirty acres, the lease running for ninety years upon a royalty of one-tenth, to be rendered in vessels furnished by the lessor. It is hardly necessary to tell any of the present genera- tion that this enterprise failed, notwithstanding it was encouraged by public-spirited men, who believed that there were unmistakable surface indica- tions of a rich basin of petroleum.
This company was organized with a capital stock of $100,000, divided into 20,000 shares. The par value of each share was $5, and the subscription price one dollar. The working capital was $10,000.
About two weeks earlier was started the pioneer
157
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
oil company, known as Snyder Spring Oil Compa- ny. It was organized with a capital of $50,000, making $I both the par value and the subscription price per share.
This company held two leases, each for twenty- one years, one from William Snyder for seventy acres, and the other from Godfrey Burket, both liv- ing in Saville township, about eight miles from Bloomfield. This company seems to have been organized to settle the question then so violently agitating the popular mind "oil or no oil," and found as their answer no oil.
During the summer of 1871, a number of persons living in Spring and Tyrone townships, contributed to a corporation similarly organized to the oil com- panies for the purpose of testing the indications of coal within their limits. The operations were car- ried on by boring and it was reported through the columns of the county papers that Mr. George Sheibley, who superintended the work on the farm of Mr. Freeman, north of Loysville, passed through a 13-inch vein of coal.
The indications in Spring township, near Oak Grove, have attracted public attention for a number of years, and seem to us the strongest west of the Juniata.
The limestone found in Perry county is mostly of the Massive variety, and contains about 56 parts of quick lime to 44 of carbonic acid, when burnt.
Dana says: " Most limestone has been formed from shells and corals ground up by the action of the sea and afterward consolidated."
7*
160
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
CHAPTER II.
THE FLORA.
Our earliest spring flower is the Liver Leaf (Hepatica triloba), a plant found along the border of hilly woods. It is readily distinguished by its blue flower being surrounded by three small leaves, which are three-lobed and quite woolly on the under side when young, and purplish when old.
Much more abundant on the hill-sides and near it will be found the Rue Anemone (Thalictrum anemonides,) distinguished by its tuberous roots, its delicate foliage, and pure white or purplish star- like flowers. It is distinguished from the Wood Anemone (Anemene nemorosa,) which is found growing in damp places, by having a single flower on the stem.
Two species of Buttercups will next attract attention in the meadows. This genus may read- ily be distinguished by the minute scale or leaf at its base. The Creeping Crowfoot (Rununculus perens) may be distinguished from the Early Crow- foot (Runuculus fascicularis,) in the narrower divi- sions of its leaves and its longer prostrate stems.
The Rose family (Rosace) derives its importance from the many valuable trees, shrubs and plants embraced in its genus. The apple, pear, quince,
161
HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
peach, nectarine, apricot, plum, prune, gage and cherry are the exotics adopted into the flora of Perry county.
The flowering shrubs of this family are the Rose, queen of flowers, which, with its many varieties, may be found in our gardens or hibernating in the sunlight of our south side windows.
The Sweet Brier (Rosa rubiginosa), with its nu- merous prickles and sweet smell, seen along unfre- quented byways, or roadsides, is a straggler from Europe.
Another very pretty plant of the rose family is the Indian Physic (Gillenia trifoliata), is commonly found growing in thickets and borders of woods. It grows about eighteen inches high, has a reclin- ing stem, with leaflets in threes. The narrow pink- ish-white petals, or flower leaves, are about one inch long.
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