USA > Pennsylvania > Juniata County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 47
USA > Pennsylvania > Mifflin County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 47
USA > Pennsylvania > Snyder County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 47
USA > Pennsylvania > Union County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 47
USA > Pennsylvania > Perry County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 47
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At February sessions, 1776, White Deer township was set off from Buffalo, by a line be- ginning at the upper side of Buffalo Creek, at its mouth ; thence np the same to the mouth of Spruce Rnn; np Spruce Run to its forks; thence up the northeast branch to its head; thence by a straight line to the four-mile tree on Reuben Haines, on the line of Potter township, -the well-known four-mile-tree in the Pom's Valley Narrows.
At May sessions, 1774, Potter township was erected out of Penn's, Buffalo and Bald Eagle, bounded castward by a north-northwest line from the top of Jack's Mountain, by the four- mile tree on Reuben Haiues' road, in the Nar- rows, to the top of Nittany Mountain, and therefore including part of Hartley township.
At August sessions, 1785, Washington town- ship was erected ont of the northern portion of White Deer, by a line along the southern shore of White Deer Creek, from its mouth to where Spruce Ruu commences.
At January sessions, 1792, East and West Buffalo townships were erected, by dividing Buffalo. The line commenced at two gum saplings, at the line of White Deer and Bnf- falo, a little west of Daniel Rengler's old saw- mill (uow Applegate's) ; thence sonth to the head of the spring at Andrew Poutions'; down Sweitzer's rnu to its month, at Penn's Creek (Philip Seebold's). These townships were called East and West Buffalo; but East Buffalo al- way> went by the name of Buffalo in deeds and elsewhere, except assessment books, until the erection of the present Buffalo.
From where the Milllin County live touched the top of Nittany Mountain, castward along its highest ridge, to where White Deer Hole Creek raus through its break, and then direct, crossing the West Branch of the Susquehanna at the month of Black Hole Creek, to the end of the Money Will, a live was drawn by authority of an act of the Legislature, passed the 13th of
again shorn, to make the comty of Lycoming. Then Centre County was erected on the 13th of February, 1800. Its castward line ent off' Nittany Valley from Northumberland, Wash- inglou township was subsequently attached to Lycoming. At the April sessions, 1811, the township of Hartley was created by the fol- lowing boundaries : Beginning on the line between West Buffalo aud Washington town- ships; theuce to the four-mile tree on Renben Ilaiues' road, on the line of Ceutre Conuty; thence along that line sonth, across Penu's Creck, to the top of Jack's Mountain ; thence along the suunnit to a point south of where Adam Langhlin formerly lived; thence north across Penn's Creek, aud by a line of marked trees to the place of beginning.
UNION COUNTY ERECTED .-- The first pub- lie suggestion for the division of Northum- berland County was in an article which appeared in the Argus, of date January 16, 1811, setting forth the distance people had to travel to reach the comity-seat, cost of fer- riage and "the expense of ormameuting the town of Sunbury." At that time the erection of fire-proof buildings for the county offices at Sunbury was being strongly urged. lu the next issue, Jammary 23d, au article appeared in favor of a new county, and set forth the increase of value of property in the region which it was proposed to set off; the better facilities of reaching the county-seat, better and nearer markets and general saving of expense in court attendauce.
These articles brought results in the circula- tion of petitious through that part of Northummi- berland County that lay west of the Susque- hanua, and to which eight hundred signatures were obtained. These were sent to the Legisla- ture, but were not acted upon at that session. During the summer of 1812 additional peti- tions were circulated, largely signed and pre- seuted at the next session.
Flavel Roan carried one of these petitions, and he writes that Giddy Smith's objection to signing was " that there are too many Feder- alists ou the petition." This question became the absorbing oue at the October election.
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UNION COUNTY.
By combining with the Derry people, and with others in favor of erecting the county of Columbia, the division party carried their ticket, electing Sammel Bond, Leonard Rupert, Thomas Murray, Jr., and George Kremer as tuembers of the Assembly.
Of course the location of the county-seat entered largely into the inducement. Swine- ford and Seebold, of the southern part, were interested when the people of Buffalo agreed that the seat of justice should be fixed not more than three miles from the centre of the inhabit- able part.
A bill was framed, passed the Senate and House and was approved by the Governor March 22, 1813, erecting Union County out of North- umberland. Section 1, enacts that " all that part of Northumberland lying on the west side of the river Susquehanna and the West Branch of the same be and is hereby erected into a separate comity, henceforth to be known and called by the name of Union."
An election was held in accordance with the provisions of the act, and the following persons were commissioned October 14, 1813 : John Ray, sheriff'; Simon Snyder, Jr., prothonotary, clerk of the several courts, register and recorder. On November 11th John Lashelles was commis- -joned deputy ; and William Irwin, Esq., district attorney; Daniel Caldwell, Frederick Gutelins and Philip Moore, county commissioners; Jolm Driesbach, coroner. The commissioners met at Mifflinburg, the place appointed, on the 12th of November, and appointed Flavel Roan clerk, fixed upon a standard of valuation of land in the several townships and rented a room of George Roush for the use of the prothonotary. Section 20 of the act of erection provided " that from and after the third Monday of De- rember next the Courts of Common Pleas and General Quarter Sessions in and for the said county of Union shall be opened and held at -tich house as may be designated by the com- missioners of said county, to be elected at the next general election, in the town of Mitlin- burgh, in the County of Union, until a court- house shall be created in and for said county, as hereinafter directed, and shall be then held at stid county court house."
Seetion 9th enaets " that the Governor be, and he is hereby authorized and regnired, on or before the first day of May next ensning, to ap- point three discreet and disinterested persons, not resident in the County of Northumberland or Union, whose duty it shall be to fix upon a proper and convenient site for a court-house, prison and county offices within the aforesaid Comdy of Union, as near the centre thereof as circumstances will admit, having regard to ter- ritory, population and the accommodation of the people of said county generally, etc."
The first conrt was held at Mifllinburg, February 14, 1814, and continued there until September, 1815, when it was removed to New Berlin.
LOCATION OF COUNTY-SEAT .- On the 23d of March, 1813, George Snyder, under author- ity of Section 9 of the act of erection, appointed James Banks, of Mifflin County, Henry Haines, of Lancaster Conty, and Edward Darl- ington, of Chester County, commissioners for the purpose of selecting a suitable site for the county-seat.
The two first-mentioned met at Selinsgrove and viewed the different places which had been suggested, and, after considering the advantages of cach, reported, June 28, 1814, the village of New Berlin as the most suitable location for the county-sent and fixed the site for the court-honse and public offices on a lot belonging to Chris- topher Seebold, Esq., and the site for a prison on the lot of John Solomon.
Much opposition was made to this selection, and petitions were circulated and sent to the Legislature of 1814-15, and referred to a com- mittee of which Mr. Willetts was chairman. These petitions complained of the establishment of the seat of justice at Longstown (New Berlin), and prayed that a law may be passed, author- izing the appointment of commissioners to review the several places originally in contem- platiou for the seat of justice. Mr. Willett, one of the committee to whom the petitions were referred on the 5th and 18th of Jaunary, 1815, made the following report :
"That on due investigation by them it appears Loogstown is fixed on as a site for the public build- lings by two of the commissioners appointed under the
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JUNIATA AND SUSQUEILANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
original act, though it may be as near the centre of territory as any of the other situations contemplated, has none of those natural advantages which they have and from which flow the prosperity of towns situated within a few miles of the immense Jack's Mountain and surrounded by sterile lands. Longs- town, alias, New Berlin has not now nor is there a prospect that at any period hence it will have any commerce or manufacteres. To perform those duties which the citizens owe the community, a great major- ity have to travel against the currem of business to a place which combines not the opportunity at the same time to trausaet his private business. In it he tinds no marker for his produce, nor can he make purchases to advantage of those beavy articles which are of the first importance to the agriculturist. Though the town has existed for upward of twenty years, yet, from these local disadvantages, the buildings are but fr.w.
" These considerations, though obviously important, and which have universally bad influence on similar occasions, seria not to have had any weight in the honest but unguarded minds of the two commissions. Under these impressions and from the consideration i hat a large majority over the remoustrants on your table of the people who have asked a review etc. etc., and finally because the committee think the request reasonable and just, they submit the following resolution:
" Resolved, That a committee be appointed to bring in a bill conformably to the prayer of the memorialists."
The bill passed the House, but after a long contest the Senate refused to coneur, and the seat of justice remained fixed at New Berlin.
On the 15th of March, 1815, an act was passed which provided, --
" That from and after the first Monday of May next the several courts in and for the County of Union shall be opened and held in the court-house in the town of New Berlin, in the said county ; and it shall be the duty of the several officers in the said County of Union, who now by law are required to hold their offices in thecounty town, to remove their respective offices to the said town of New Berlin on or before the first Monday of May aforesaid, auy law to the con- trary notwithstanding. Provided that a full and sufficient deed in tec simple for the court-house and lol whereon the same shall be erected, shall, on or before the first Monday of Aprilnext, be tendered to the commissioners of said county on the payment of sixty-seven cards by them."
The money was paid, and the receipt. there- for may be seen at the office of the commis- sioners at Lewisburgh, and the deed required by
the act was tendered and received March 28, 1815.
Conrts were held at first in the house of John Driesbach. On Angust 6, 181 1, the commi -- ion- es agreed with the trustees of the German con- gregation for the use of the school-house as a place of holding court, and it was where courts were held until removed to New Berlin.
The grand jury held their sessions in the house of Henry Yearick. The office of the commis. sjoners was moved from Milllinburg to the house of -- Bahn, in New Berlin, where it re- mained until December 1 Ith in that year, when it was moved to the office in the court-house. The first court in New Berlin was held May 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20, 1815.
The conrt-honse was not finished until De- cember of that year, from which time it was used for the holding of conrts until December, 1855, when they were removed to Lewistown which has been the county-seat from that time.
The jail lot that was first selected by the commission was exchanged with Christopher Seebold, and the jail built upon it.
The prisoners of Union County were kept in the jail at Sunbury until the completion of the jail at New Berlin in 1817.
Early in the spring of 1816 the commission- ers of the county, Frederick Gutelins, James Dale and John Bower, published proposals for building a jail. The contract was let March 30th to Peter Swartz for three thousand three hundred and ninety-five dollars. On April 5th following he declined to fulfill his contract, and it was let the same day to Frederick Hipple for four thousand dollars. The building was erected of stone, forty by forty-four feet. A jail-yard was inclosed in 1818, which, with the jail building, was sixty-six by ninety feet. The spec- ifications for the wall were as follows : "Found- ation to be three feet deep and three feet thick ; the wall from the ground to the height of the synare of the jail was to be two feet thick. The whole was to be roofed with white pine joint shingles."
For many years the old buildings at New Berlin had been an annoyance to all who had business there. In 1852 the people of New Berlin petitioned the grand jury to take meas-
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UNION COUNTY.
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ures toward the erection of new county build- ings. This action on their part was soon known throughout the county, and a storm of opposi- tion was at once aroused, which, with the feeling that had grown up by reason of the agitation of' the railroad question, eventually led to a division of the county.
CONTEST OVER COUNTY DIVISION .- The first public demonstration in behalf of the proposed division was held at Freeburg on the 28th of February, 1853. Petitions, however, were in circulation in all parts of the county to that end. The meeting was held for the pur- pose of giving expression of opinion on the sub- ject of building a new court-house in New Ber- lin. One of the resolutions passed says,-
" In regard to the moves that have been made in the northeastern part of our county in favor of a division we will now heartily subscribe to and we now do de- clare that we are in favor of an immediate division of Union County, and Penn's Creek to be the dividing line.
"That we are ready and with unanimous consent en-operate with the citizens of the northern, westeru and eastern parts of the county in an effort to secure legislative action by petitioning to that body imme- diately for the desired division of Union County, and sincerely hope that they will attend to their and our interests without delay."
In an editorial dated March 4, 1853, it is stated that, --
" Petitioners are now in active circulation in nearly all parts of the county, praying the speedy passage of an act to divide the county by a line commencing at the west end of the Northumberland Bridge ; thenee by the New Berlin road to Penn's Creek, near Mow- rer's Mill; thence up Penn's Creek to the east end of Jack's Mountain, and thence along the summit of said mountain to the western boundary of the connty. No names have been fixed upon, but it has been sug- gissted that the northern division be called Buffalo, and the south retain the old name, Union."
A meeting was held in Perry township March 12th, in Penn township the 14th, in Washing- ton township the 15th. Meetings were held also in the northern part of the county.
A bill was prepared with the following title : " An aet for the erection of a new county out of a part of Union County, to be called Snyder, and relating to the seat of justice in Union County," and was read by Senator Slifer on the 1 lth of March, 1853. Petitions had been pre-
sented to the House asking that a part of Union County be attached to Juniata County. Peti- tions in remonstrance were also received. On March 29th Mr. Slifer presented ten petitions to the Senate for a division of Union County. A report from Legislature, April 6th, says there have been presented two thousand one hundred and thirty names for a division of Union County, about two thirds of them within the limits of Snyder County, and eighteen hundred and forty- six names opposed to the division.
The effort made to pass a bill to divide the county was brought too late in the session, and it did not come to a test by both branches of the Legislature.
At the election in October, 1853, the question of a division of the county was voted upon.
In part of the county the question of railroad bonds was put upon the same ticket with the question of division of the county. This occa- sioned confusion in the minds of many, and the tickets were not returned in the regular way. The vote, later, was added, and made the ma- jority against division one hundred and eighty- one.
Petitions were again circulated and over three thousand names in favor of a division were pro- cured, and a memorial drawn, which was pre- sented to the Legislature in March, 1854, in which it was stated that "the county is naturally divided by the Blue Hills, Penn's Creek and Jack's Mountain into two equal parts, the north part being composed of Buffalo and Dry Val- leys and the south part of Middle Creek, Klop- perdale and Musser's Valleys. The natural vents of those valleys for commerce and all kinds of business is the Susquehanna River, on the cast- ern border of the county. New Berlin is situ- ated on the base of Shamokin Hill, entirely out of the way of commerce, to which there is noth- ing to attract the citizen or business man, except the process of the court to attend as witness or juror. The county is thirty-two miles north and south, and twenty-seven miles cast and west, and if divided by the proposed line would make two very conveniently situated counties. The present movement for division originated a year ago, after an attempt to get new public buildings at New Berlin. The people believing
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JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
the time had arrived, petitioned, to a mumber of two thousand, for a division, while one thousand remonstrated. It was late in the season and was not urged.
The memorial eloses with the remark, " We hope that in your wisdom yon will see fit to grant the division, and thereby put to rest an agitation that can be silenced in no other way." The bill came before the Senate and was passed unanimously March 21, 1854. Major J. W. Si- montou, the member of the House from Union, was in opposition to the division.
The Lewisburg Chronicle of Friday, April 14th, says: "The Division Bill came up ou the Private Calendar on Tuesday, when it was re- jeeted off, under the rule, by the 'I object ' of a single member, Major Simonton. It remains now to be called up like any other contested bill."
It was not brought up again and was passed over for the next session.
The agitation was continued during the sum- mer of 1854; meetings were held by both Di- visionists and Anti-divisionists. Nominations were made in October of that year upon the question, and the Divisionists were triumphant in nomination and election. In December pe- titions for division were again in circulation.
The legislative session began in January, 1855, and Dr. Crawford, of Juniata County, soon after introduced a bill for the division of Union County. At this time over three thous- and signatures were upon the petitions pre- sented. The bill passed the committee of the whole February 21st. It was reported with amendments and passed the Senate the same day. The amendments threw the bill back to the House, and, on the 24 of March, 1855, it was passed by the House and was approved by Governor Pollock.
Section thirty-four of the bill provided that the question should be laid before the people and be decided by popular vote. In accordance therewith, an election was hell on the 16th of March, with the following result : Two thousand five hundred and fifty-three for; two thousand five hundred and eight against -- making a ma- jority of forty-five in favor of the erection of Snyder County.
Section 3 provided,-
" That suitable ground and buildings and a jail for county purposes for said county of Snyder, and also suitable grounds, buildings and a jail for said county of Union, to be approved by a majority of the Court and grand jurors of the respective counties when prepared, shall be secured to the said counties with- out any cost or tax whatever being imposed upon the taxables of said counties for such expenditure."
Section 4 provided,-
"That to secure the conditions expressed in the third section of this act, there be pledged in trust to the judges of the courts of Union County, on or before May next, one or more responsible bona fide subserip- tions of not less than ten thousand dollars from with- in the limits of each county respectively, for the pur- chase of grounds and the crection of buildings as aforesaid for the counties of Union and Snyder, said buildings to be of stone or brick, with fire-proof roofs and fire-proof rooms for records. . . . The subscrip- tion aforesaid shall be transferred to the building committee provided for such subscriptions respec- tively, and the ground necessary with the proper county buildings, shall be finished and conveyed in fee simple to the proper authorities of the respective counties on or before the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven."
LEWISBURGH MADE THE SEAT OF JUSTICE. -The towns that made propositions for the lo- cation of the county-seat of Union were Lewis- burgh and Mifflinburg, cach of which gave bonds to the judge of the courts,-Lewisburgh for fifty thousand dollars and Mifflinburg for twenty-five thousand dollars. An election was ordered for October 9, 1855, to decide npon the location, which resulted in fourteen hundred and thirty-one in favor of Lewisburgh and twelve hundred and ten in favor of Mifflinburg, making a majority of two hundred and twenty- one in favor of the former. Upon this result, several locations were suggested in the town of Lewisburgh, and a vote of the subscribers to the fund was taken, upon the basis of one vote for every ten dollars subscribed. The site selected was on the corner of Second Street, and was two lots in rear of the Lutheran Church property and belonging to Jonathan Spyker and George F. Miller. They were purchased for seven hundred dollars. Plans were obtained and ap- proved, which were similar to those of the court- houses of Bradford County, Pa., and Camden, N. J. A contract was made on December 15th,
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UNION COUNTY.
with Lewis Palmer, of Tyrone, for the construc- tion of the court-house and jail, at a cost of sey- ruteen thousand dollars, to be completed and ready for use December 15, 1856. In Septem- ber of that year, when the building was ap- proaching completion, the Hon. Simon Cameron visited the town and made arrangements to fur- with the bell for the court-house, which now haugs in the steeple.
The grand jury was called upon at the Feb- ruary term of court, 1857, by the committee- William Cameron, John Walls and Thomas layes-to examine the court-house and offices, with a view to their acceptance. The examina- tion was made and the report approved by the court February 18, 1857.
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UNION COUNTY COURT-HOUSE.
The court-house is built of brick, three stories in height and fifty by one hundred feet. The front, on Second Street, is finished with an Ionie portico. The first, or basement, story con- tains seven cells for prisoners, and rooms for the sheriff. The second floor contains the sheriff's dwelling-rooms, and offices of the prothonotary, register and recorder, commissioners, treasurer and sheriff. The third story is finished as jury and court-room. The latter is fifty by sixty fect, and twenty-one feet in height.
The first court was held in Lewisburgh in De- comber, 1855, in the basement of the Methodist Church, which building was used until the oc- cupaney of the new court-house, in February, 1857.
CIVIL, LIST OF UNION COUNTY. GOVERNOR, Simon Snyder, 1808 -17.
AEDITOR-GENERAL OF PENNSYLVANIA. Isaac Slenker, 1862-65. SECRETARY OF STATE. Eli Slifer, January 16, 1861-67. STATE TREASURER. Eli Slifer, 1855-'59. MEMBERS OF THE STATE SENATE.
District composed of the Counties of Northumberland, Union, Columbia, Susquehanna and Luzerne.
1814-15. T. Murray, Jr. 1818-19. Simon Snyder. 1816-17. Charles Fraser. 1820-21. R. Conyngham.
Northumberland and Union.
1822. Andrew Albright. 1830-34. S. J. Packer. 1823-26. Lewis Dewart. 1833-38. Isaac Slenker. 1826-30. John Ray.
Perry, Mifflin, Juniata, Union and Huntingdon.
1837-38. Isaac Slenker. 1841-42. R. P. Maelay. 1838-39. R. P. Maclay. 1843. Henry C. Eyer. Mifflin, Union and Juniata.
1844. Henry C. Eyer. 1849-51. J. J. Cunning- 1845-48. Jacob Wagen- ham. seller.1 1853.54. Eli Slifer.
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1848. N. Middleswarth.2 1855-57. J. M. Sellers.3
Clinton, Lycoming, Centre and Union.
1858. Andrew Gregg. 1862-64. H. Johnson.
1859-61. Andrew Gregg. -
Lycoming, Union and Snyder.
1865-67. John Walls. 1871-73. A. II. Dill. 1868-70. John B. Beck.
Snyder, Perry, Northumberland and Union. 1872-73. A. II. Dill. | 1873-76. A. H. Dill.
Union, Snyder and Northumberland.
1875-76. A. H. Dill. 1876 to the present, Simon P. Wolverton.
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