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History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
"History is an account of facts," and it is the province of the historian to so connect facts as to link the past and present indissolubly together. The field of history is large, and can only be properly occupied by diligent, unremitting toil. A history of a nation may be readily compiled, showing its birth and development, and, perhaps, extinction; but where are the lessons that history should teach when such history is written? The child of to-day may spend years in faithfully studying the writings of Herodotus, Pliny, Rollin, Gibbon, Hume, Macaulay, Bancroft, and others, but, when done, what has been accomplished? The mind is developed, a general knowledge of other people has been obtained, but has anything been learned that binds him any more strongly to home, that makes him any the more familiar with the early scenes of his own locality, that enables him to judge of the character of those who immediately preceded, of the difficulties attendant upon the subjugation of the wilds of his own town or county ? We opine not. If it is desired to bind a clild to the home of its ancestor's with bonds that no attraction will tempt it to sever, familiarize the mind with all the events of that home's early history. Let the mind comprehend the trials, hardships, and dangers endured by those whose lives were expended in providing comfort for those who come after.
If it is desired to interest the mind in the study of history, give it nourishment in the record of events and incidents pertinent to the immediate locality in which the embryo student lives. We do not claim for our firstling perfection ; we claim no merit whatever except what is due to him who has courage to strike out in new fields of labor. We know that our feeble attempt to supply a want that has long been felt falls far short of what, in our most despondent mood, we hoped for it, and that many will turn from it in disappointment, perhaps disgust; that the critic, who notes the absence of some supposed material fact, without regarding the time, labor, and patience expended in the preparation, will indulge in some severe censure. But we have the consolation that a strong effort has been made by the writer, backed with a carte-blanche from the publishers, to utilize all means, regardless of expense, to furnish reliable work. Such as it is, we present it to the reader, imperfections and all. In some cases, early pioneers have not received that consideration that was justly due. Whenever their descendants or friends discover that the claims of their ancestors to prominent mention have been disregarded, they ore referred to the columns of the Lycoming County papers, in which, at an expense of upwards of fifty dollars to the publishers, they have been urged to acquaint the writer with any historical facts; and it must be distinctly understood that when any have been omitted the fault is not ours.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTORY.
Evidences of a pre-Historic Race in Lycoming County... 1
CHAPTER I.
The First Purchase - Treaty of 1768 - First Visitors to West Branch - Conrad Weiser - Shikelimo - Hambright's Expedition - French Expedition - Battle of Muncy Hills... 3
CHAPTER II.
Organization of Muncy Township - First Road - Official Oath - Security for Negroes - First Grist-Mill... 4
CHAPTER III.
Settlers in 1773 - County History - Assessments in Muncy, 1774 - Peter Wyckoff - The Covenhoven Boys - The Corter Family... 5
CHAPTER IV
The Pennamite Wars... 7
CHAPTER V.
Provincial Convention - Committee of Safety, etc... 8
CHAPTER VI.
Fortification, etc. - Captain A. Walker to John Hambright - Forts Brady, Huff, and Antis... 9
CHATER VII.
The Rig Runaway - Memorial of Citizens above Muncy Hills - Correspondence of Officers, showing the Condition of the Inhabitants... 10
CHAPTER VIII.
Re-occupancy of the West Branch - Trials of Settlers - Memorials of Inhabitants - Rachel Silverthorn - Murder of Samuel Brady - Colonel T. Hartley to Board of War, 1778 - Tax-Payers in Muncy, 1778... 12
CHAPTER IX.
Fair-Play Men - Memorial Petition of the Settlers West of the Lycoming Creek... 14
CHAPTER X.
Organizations of County, 1782-95... 15
CHAPTER XI
Organization of Lycoming County - First Judges, etc. - April, 1795 - Petition of Mary Campbelton... 16
CHAPTER XII.
Appointment of Commissioners, etc. 1795-96... 17
CHAPTER XIII.
First Court-House - First Transactions in Real Estate - Boundary Line of County Establishes - First Mail Service, etc. 1797-98 to 1824... 18
CHAPTER XIV
Internal Improvements - First Steamboat on the West Branch of Susquehanna - West Branch Canal... 19
CHAPTER XV.
1824-1871 - Elmira and Williamsport Railroad - Philadelphia and Erie Railroad; How the Project Started; The First Surveys - The Catawissa Railroad... 21
CHAPTER XVI.
War of the Rebellion - Memorial of Officers of the Pennsylvania Battalions - Roster of Officers - Company Rolls - Colonel Samuel Wilson and the Eighty-ninth Regiment - Sketches, etc... 23
CHAPTER XVII.
History of Williamsport... 32
McIntyre Township... 71
Cascade, PLunkett's Creek, and Limestone Townships... 73
Brady and Nippenose Townships... 74
Bastres, Anthony, and Lewis Townships... 76
Hepburn and Clinton Townships... 77
Muncy and Cogan House Townships... 79
Cummins and Piatt Townships... 80
Mifflin and McHenry Townships... 81
Pine Township... 82
Montours an dJersey Shore... 83
Muncy and Hughesville Boroughs... 84
Picture Rocks... 85
Montoursville... 86
Brown and Porter Township... 87
Watson, Wolf, and Susquehanna Townships... 88
Muncy Creek Township... 89
Lycoming and Upper Fairfield Townships... 91
Old Lycoming and Washington Townships... 92
Loyalstock, Shrewsbury, Watson, Woodward, and Jackson Townships... 93
Armstrong, Penn, and Eldred Townships... 94
Franklin, Jordan, and Moreland Townships - Muncy Creek Railroad... 95
The Common Schools of Lycoming County... 96
The Episcopal Church... 99
Presbyterian and Methodist Churches... 98
"Old Emanuel" - First Sunday-schools; When and by Whom Established... 99
Newspapers - Sanitary Commission; Record of the The Picture Rocks Aid Society... 100
The Soldiers... 102
List of Taxable Inhabitants in Lycoming and Washington Townships in 1786 and in 1793 - Senators who have Represented Lycoming County in the State Legislature... 103
House of Representatives - County Officials... 104
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Allen, Robert P... 104
Ault, Herman B.... 72
Allen, Colonel James S... 64
Brown, James V... 38
Boaks, Jas. K.. 101
Buffington, S.S... 54
Bailey, Samuel H... 109
Bennett, George... 14
Blackwell, G.H... 72
Bank Building, Jersey Shore... 115
Coleman, Mrs. M.G... 109
Crawford, J.S... 78
Coltor, Henry... 103
Childs, J.S... 61
Creighton, Jas. R... 53
Cline, G.H.,M.D... 62
Champion, M.A...37
Carpenter, J.B... 80
Crane, Geo. W... 85
Crane, James V...55
Cemetery, Jersey Shore... 21
Corcoran, Bubb & Co... 114
Casner, L.E... 102
City Hotel... 23
Dayton J.E. & Co... 45
Davis, J.F... 40
Ellis, B. Morris... 22
Ecroyd, Jas... 22
Evenden, Thomas & Sons... 114
Elliott's Academy of Music... 13
Fair Grounds and Trotting Park, Jersey Shore... 46
Ferguson, J.G... 87
Gamble, James... 104
Goehrig, William, M.D... 62
Gamble, Hon. John A... 53
Gamble, M.A... 61
Grier, Rev. John H... 23
Humes, Hamilton B... 64
Hotchkiss & Barber... 63
Herdic House... 30
Hepburn, M.P... 111
Irvin, John C... 61
Johnson, Henry... 93
Kingston, L.C... 77
Koenig, M.J., M.D... 48
Koch, A. & Brother... 56
Lloyd, Wn. Q.... 23
Lyon, Chas L.... 37
Lycoming Fire Ins. Co... 16
Matthewson & Co.... 94
Martin, H.H., M.D.... 56
McKinney, Matthew... 86
McLaughlin, John... 80
Nice, James E... 88
Otto, John A... 7
Otto, Henry M... 7
Opp, Wilson... 96
Opp, P.W... 111
Presbyterian Church, Jersey Shore... 115
Quigley, Hugh... 103
Rotbrock, Geo... 45
Rowley, E.A... 69
Richter, Dr. A... 6
Rissell, Jas. M... 23
Reed, Dr. Urian... 64
Reeder, Peter... 78
Russell & Williamson... 32
Russell Inn... 24
Rubright & Dornan... 69
Rogers, Geo. H... 93
Russell, E.H... 32
St. Bonifacius Church... 4
Stearns, L.L... 8
Stamm, Henry... 64
Smith, G.P... 88
Steck, M... 78
Steck, George... 39
Strebeigh, Daniel... 14
Savings Bank... 79
Thomas, Wm... 102
Underhill, T.S... 45
Vanvoice, John... 79
West Branch High School, Jersey Shore...48
Weddigen, F... 69
Waddle, Thos... 48
Wilson, Jas... 48
Waters, Hiram... 53
White, Johnathan... 56
Wagner, Samuel... 54
Wolf, J.M. & M... 55
Wilson, A.F... 37
Weaver, Jacob... 102
Youngman, G.W... 79
PORTRAITS.
Dr. Richter... 6
J.L. Mussina... 15
J.W. Maynard... 24
P. Herdic... 24
General Daniel Broadhead... 29
Henry Johnson... 29
C.A. Rubright... 40
Benjamin Thompson... 93
N. Barroughs... 112
Robert Porter... 117
William Piatt... 118
James H. Perkins... 119
John Leighton... 119
Hon. William Hepburn... 119
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
Hon J. W. Maynard... 106
William Hepburn... 107
Tunison Coryell... 108
Colonel W.B. Thompson... 108
Robert Covenhoven... 111
Colonel Hugh White... 112
Isaac Smith... 112
John Brady... 112
David McMicken... 113
Robert Robb... 114
Major James H. Perkins... 115
Abraham Updegraff... 115
Hon. Theodore Hill... 115
Dr. Samuel Pollock... 116
George W. Youngman... 116
Dr. James Hepburn... 117
Hon. Levi L. Tate... 117
Daniel Heivly... 117
W.R. Bierly... 117
Thomas Evenden... 118
Samuel Miller... 118
A.F. Wilson... 118
M.A. Champion... 118
Rubright & Derman... 118
Charles A. Rubright... 118
John Henry Antes... 119
Brady's Leap... 119
Peter Herdic... 119
John J. Metzger... 124
John B. Hall... 124
A.H. McHenry... 124
Affie Dumm... 125
Judge Huston Hepburn... 126
C.L. Lawrence... 126
Captain Robert Brown... 127
Otto Family... 127
Augustus Koch, Sr... 128
Judge A.J. Dietrick... 129
John F. Meginness... 129
H.H. Blair... 129
Grantham L. Keyser... 130
Rev. John H. Grier... 130
Captain J.E. Potter... 131
Major J.S. Howard... 131
Colonel Samuel Wilson... 132
Dr. T.W. Meckley... 132
Captain P.D. Bricker... 123
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In compiling the history of Lycoming County, and presenting to the reader a narrative of the principal events, from the earliest settlement to the present, the aim of the author has been to be as exhaustive and comprehensive as possible with the means at command. The earlier statistics, that would tend to enlighten the reader of to-day as to events that transpired in this valley prior to 1770, are exceedingly meagre, and the writer of this work has to acknowledge indebtedness to the older citizens of the County for nearly every fact regarding that ante-Revolutionary period which is so full of interest to every American citizen.
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