Area History: Bell's History of Northumberland County, PA - Contents

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Tony Rebuck.

USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged,
as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to
other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites.
We encourage links to the state and county table of contents.
 


Return to Northumberland County GenWeb Page                          [Return to Northumberland County Archives Index Page]
 
 

HISTORY
OF
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY,
PENNSYLVANIA,
INCLUDING
ITS    ABORIGINAL   HISTORY;    THE  COLONIAL    AND    REVOLUTIONARY
PERIODS; EARLY SETTLEMENT AND SUBSEQUENT GROWTH; POLITICAL
ORGANIZATION; AGRICULTURAL, MINING, AND MANUFACTURING
INTERESTS; INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS; RELIGIOUS, EDUC-
ATIONAL, SOCIAL, AND MILITARY HISTORY; SKETCHES
OF ITS BOROUGHS, VILLAGES, AND TOWNSHIPS;
PORTRAITS AND BIOGRAPHIES OF PIONEERS
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS ETC, ETC.
EDITED BY
HERBERT C. BELL.
ILLUSTRATED.
CHICAGO, ILL.:
BROWN, RUNK & Co., PUBLISHERS.
1891



PREFACE
preface.txt

ILLUSTRATIONS
bellpics.htm

CONTENTS.

INDEX.............................................................................................................................................................1241-1256
bellindx.txt

MAP OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY..........................................................................................................14-15
northmap.gif

CHAPTER I. THE COLONIAL PERIOD. .............................................................................................................. 17-41
bell0001.txt General Topography - Drainage - First Exploration of the Susquehanna - Indian
Tribes - The Susquehannocks - Delawares - Allumapees - The Shawanese - The Iroquois -
Shikellimy - Indian  Traders - Conrad Weiser - Missionary Effort

CHAPTER II. THE COLONIAL PERIOD (Concluded).......................................................................................... 42-98
bell0002.txt Pages 42 - 59. Purchase of the Susquehanna - Alienation of the Delaware Indians -
Hostilities Inaugurated - Rumors of French Invasion - Defensive Measures Adopted - The Augusta
Regiment Organized to Build a Port at Shamokin - Progress of the Expedition - Construction of Fort
Augusta - Principal Events of Colonel Clapham's Administration

bell0003.txt Pages 59 - 77. Extracts and Incidents from Major Burd's Journal - Subsequent Commanding
Officers - The Magazine and Indian Store - Operations In 1763 - Strength of the Garrison and Armament

bell0004.txt Pages 77 - 98.  The Flag - Doctors and Chaplains - Plan and Description of the Fort -
Close of The French and Indian War - Purchase of 1768 - Early Survey - Lists of Pioneers - Fithian's
Journal - The Yankee and Pennamite War

CHAPTER III. THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD. .............................................................................................. 99-142
bell0005.txt  Pages 99 - 123. Close of the Provincial Regime - The County's Representation in the
Continental Army - Companies of Captains Lowdon, Parr, and Weltzel - Twelfth Pennsylvania Regiment
- Committee of Safety - Militia Organization - Indian Outrages - Defensive Measures Instituted by Colonel
Hunter - "The Great Runaway" - Colonel Brodhead Temporarily Stationed on the Frontier

bell0006.txt Pages 124 - 142.  - Colonel Hartley's Military Administration - Fall of Fort Freeland
- The German Regiment - General Potter's Expedition - Events of Colonel Hunter's Accounts

CHAPTER IV. ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION. ........................................................................ 142-198
bell0007.txt Erection of Northumberland County - Disintegration of its Territory - Present
Boundaries - Internal Subdivision - Original Townships - Formation of Present Subdivisions
- Statistics of Population - Public Buildings - Early Fiscal Affairs

bell0008.txt Inauguration of the Public School System - Roster of County Officers - Representation
in Constitutional Conventions, etc. - Legislative Representation - Early Township Officers

CHAPTER V. THE BENCH AND BAR. .............................................................................................................201-260
bell0008.txt First Courts and Cases - The Quarter Sessions - Early Administration of Penal
Justice - The Orphans' Court - The Common Pleas - Rules of Court

bell0009.txt  The Bench - Roster of Justices of President Judges -Associate Judges -
The Bar of the Past and Present - The Supreme Court

CHAPTER VI. THE MEDICAL PROFESSION. ...................................................................................................261-273
bell0010.txt List of Sunbury Physicians, by Dr. R H. Awl -Biographical Sketches of Physicians
Throughout the County - Medical Societies - Roster of the Medical Profession

CHAPTER VII. THE PRESS. ............................................................................................................................273-296
bell0010.txt Journalism at Northumberland - Sunbury Papers - The Press of Milton - Shamokin
Newspaper - Journals of Mt. Carmel - McEwensville and Locust Gap Papers

CHAPTER VIII. INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS ...............................................................................................297-328
bell0011.txt Relation of Highways of Travel to Civilization - Public Roads - The Tulpehocken Road -
The Old Reading Road - Early County Roads - Turnpikes - River Navigation - Canals - Railroads -
Pennsylvania - Danville and Pottsville - Philadelphia and Reading - Northern Central - Sunbury,
Hazelton and Wilkesbarre - Sunbury and Lewistown - Lewisburg and Tyrone - Philadelphia and
Reading - Mine Hill and Schuylkill Haven - Mahanoy and Shamokin - Enterprise -Shamokin and
Trevorton - Trevorton, Mahanoy and Susquehanna- Catawissa - Shamokin, Sunbury
and Lewisburg - Delaware, Lackawana and Western - Lehigh Valley - Wilkesbarre and Western

CHAPTER IX. AGRICULTURE.......................................................................................................................... 329-346
bell0012.txt Preparation of Soils the Result of Remote Rather than Immediate Agency - Geological
Structure - Anticlinals and Synclinals - Subdivisions of the Paleozoic System - Location and
Characteristics of Each Stratum - Development of the Farming Industry - Condition of the Farming
Interests in 1845 - Agricultural Societies

CHAPTER X. THE SHAMOKIN COAL FIELD.................................................................................................... 347-357
bell0012.txt By Dr. J. J. JOHN. Importance of Coal - Its Location - Names of the Veins - Their
Position and Character - A Walk from the Weigh Scales to the Cameron Colliery - Ascent of the
Great Culm Bank - A Talk with the Inside Foreman About the Coal Formation - Further Description
of the Sixteen Veins Found in This Region - A Section of the Measures - Depth of the Shamokin
Coal Basin - A Short Description of the Districts and Basins - Production of the Three Districts -
The Question, "How Long Will Our Coal Supply Last?" Answered

CHAPTER XI. DEVELOPMENT OF THE SHAMOKIN COAL FIELD. ............................................................358-391
bell0013.txt BY DR. J. J. JOHN Discovery of Anthracite In This Region - First Application to General
Uses -First Shamokin Coal Taken to Market - Opening of the first Mines at Shamokin, Coal Run, and
Trevorton - First Coal Shipments Down the Susquehanna - Speculation In Coal Lands - The Danville and
Pottsville Railroad - Pioneer Coal operations - The Disastrous Year of 1842 - Revival of 1850 - Judge
Helfenstein's Developments - Original Coal Breakers - Marshalls letter - New Collieries and Outlets -
Coal Shipments to Elmira in 1855 - Other Collieries Started and Breakers Erected - Tonnage of This Region
for the Years 1857 and 1889 - Total Production for the Past Fifty-one Years.

CHAPTER XII. WAR OF 1812. ...........................................................................................................................391-396
bell0014.txt Pages 391 - 421. Mobilization of the Militia - Companies of Captains Robert
McGuigan, William McGuire, William F. Buyers, and Jacob Hummel, and Lieutenant Joseph Dreibelbies

CHAPTER XIII. THE CIVIL WAR. ........................................................................................................................396-444
bell0014.txt  Pages 391 - 421. State of Public Sentiment at the Outbreak of the War - Mass Meetings
and Resolutions - The Sanitary Commission - Regimental Sketches - Eleventh - Eighth -Thirty fourth -
Forty sixth - Forty seventh - Fifty first - Fifty-third - Fifty-Sixth -

bell0015.txt  Pages 422 - 444. Eightieth - One Hundred and Twelfth - Fifty eighth - One Hundred and
Thirty first - One Hundred and Fifty second - Seventy fourth - Militia of 1862 - Militia of 1863 -
Soldiers' Monuments

CHAPTER XIV. SUNBURY. ................................................................................................................................444-514
bell0016.txtPages 444 -480. The Town Plat - Early Residents - Sunbury in 1805 - Reminiscences
of  Dr. R. H. Awl - Prominent Merchants, 1772-1850 - Early Hotels - Municipal Organization and
Government

bell0017.txt  Pages 480 - 514. Facilities of Travel and Transportation - Industrial Activity - Banking
Institutions - Gas, Electric Light, and Water Companies - Local Papers - The Post office - Secret and
other Societies - Educational Interests - Churches - Cemeteries - Borough of East Sunbury

CHAPTER XV. NORTHUMBERLAND. ..............................................................................................................515-545
bell0018.txt The Town Plat - Early History - Prominent Early Residents - Early Merchants and Hotels -
The Postoffice - Bridges, Canals, and Railways - Borough Organization and Government - Industrial
Activity - Schools - Local Journalism - Secret and other Societies - Churches - Cemeteries

CHAPTER XVI. MILTON. ......................................................................................................................................545-591
bell0019.txt Pages 545 - 567. Pioneer History - The Town Plat - Inhabitants from 1804 to 1808 -
Taxables in 1815 - Borough Government - The Postoffice - Facilities of Travel and Transportation -
General Business Interests - Industries of the Past and Present - floods and Fires

bell0020.txt  Pages 568 - 591. Secret and Other Societies - Churches - Sunday Schools - Miscellaneous
Moral and Humanitarian Organizations - Educational Interests-Local Papers - Cemeteries.

CHAPTER XVII. SHAMOKIN. ............................................................................................................................591-655
bell0021.txt Pages 591 - 621. Brief of Title - The Town Plat - Pioneers - Shamokin in 1839 -
Subsequent Growth Summarized - The First Stores and Hotels - Early Physicians and Lawyers -
Municipal Organization and Government - The Riot of 1877 - Facilities of Travel and Transportation -
The Shamokin Coal Trade - General Industrial Interests -

bell0022.txt  Pages  621 - 655. The Postoffice - Banks - Water, Gas, and Electric Light - Board of Trade -
Secret and Other Societies - The Press - Churches - Educational Interests - Cemeteries

CHAPTER XVIII. MT. CARMEL. .........................................................................................................................655-676
bell0023.txt Old Hotels - The Town Plat - First Improvements and Subsequent Growth - The First
Merchants, Physicians, and Lawyers - The Postoffice - Railroads -Municipal Organization and
Government - The Mt. Carmel Coal Trade - General Industrial Interests - Financial Institutions -
Water and Electric Light Companies - Secret and Other Societies - The Press - Schools - Churches - Cemeteries

CHAPTER XIX. WATSONTOWN. .........................................................................................................................677-692
bell0023.txt Pioneer History - The First Surveys - Early Industries, Stores, and Hotels -The Town
Plat - Railroads - The Postoffice - Manufacturing, Past and Present -Banks - Electric light and Water
Companies - Borough Organization and Government - Secret and Fraternal Societies - Educational and
Literary Effort - Churches - Watsontown Cemetery

CHAPTER XX. TURBUT TOWNSHIP. ..................................................................................................................692-697
bell0024.txt Erection and Original Boundaries - Subdivision and Present Area - Pioneers - Mills -
Churches -Schools -Cemeteries

CHAPTER XXI. UPPER AUGUSTA TOWNSHIP. ...................................................................................................698-705
bell0024.txt Erection of Augusta Township and Development of its Subsequent Boundaries -
Formation of Upper and Lower Augusta - Pioneers - Roads and Streams - Industries - Schools - Churches

CHAPTER XXII. LOWER AUGUSTA TOWNSHIP. ................................................................................................705-707
bell0024.txt Territorial Development - Topography - Fisher's Ferry - Mills - Schools - Churches

CHAPTER XXIII. UPPER MAHANOY TOWNSHIP. ................................................................................................708-710
bell0024.txt Proceedings for the Erection of Mahanoy Township - Disintegration of its Territory -
Organization of Upper Mahanoy - Pioneers - Hotels - Mills - Secret Society - Schools - Churches

CHAPTER XXIV. LOWER MAHANOY TOWNSHIP. .............................................................................................711-714
bell0024.txt Organization - Drainage - Early History and Present Business and Industrial Interests
of Georgertown - Malta - Industries - Schools - Churches

CHAPTER XXV. POINT TOWNSHIP. .....................................................................................................................714-716
bell0024.txt Proceedings for Its Erection - First Township Officers - Pioneers - Industries

CHAPTER XXVI. CHILLISQUAQUE TOWNSHIP. .................................................................................................716-726
bell0024.txt Area and Topography - Erection and Subdivision - Pioneer Industries - Pottsgrove -
Montandon - Sodom - Chillisquaque - Schools - Churches

CHAPTER XXVII. SHAMOKIN TOWNSHIP. ..........................................................................................................726-734
bell0025.txt Formation of Ralpho Township and Description of its Original Boundaries - Change
of Name to Shamokin - Physical Features - Pioneers - Taxables in 1755 - Industries - Early
Settlement, Present Business, and Municipal Government of the Borough of Snydertown -
Villages - Schools - Churches

CHAPTER XXVIII. LITTLE MAHANOY TOWNSHIP ............................................................................................734-736
bell0025.txt Boundaries - Organization - Pioneers - Mills - Schools -Churches

CHAPTER XXIX. RUSH TOWNSHIP. ......................................................................................................................737-742
bell0025.txt Successive Movements for the Division of Shamokin Township - Formation, Origin
of Name, and First Township - Officers of Rush - Pioneers - Industries - Rushtown - Schools - Churches

CHAPTER XXX. JACKSON TOWNSHIP. ...............................................................................................................743-748
bell0025.txt Original Boundaries - Pioneers - Industries - Early History and Growth of
Herndon - Mahanoy - School - Churches

CHAPTER XXXI. COAL TOWNSHIP. .....................................................................................................................749-751
bell0025.txt Suggestiveness of the Name - Organization - Streams and Roads - Industries -
Villages - Coal Poor District - Churches

CHAPTER XXXII. DELAWARE TOWNSHIP. ........................................................................................................752-764
bell0025.txt Organization and Boundaries - Pioneers - Early Industries - Early History, Growth,
Industries, and Borough Organization of McEwensville - Dewart - Churches - Schools - Cemeteries

CHAPTER XXXIII. LEWIS TOWNSHIP. ................................................................................................................765-769
bell0026.txt Topographical Features - Political Organization - Freeland's Mill - Settlement,
Growth, Present Business Interests, and Municipal Government of the Borough of Turbutville -
Churches - Schools - Turbutville Cemetery

CHAPTER XXXIV. CAMERON TOWNSHIP. .......................................................................................................769-772
bell0026.txt Extent -Organization Drainage - Villages of the Past and Present - Schools - Churches.

CHAPTER XXXV. JORDAN TOWNSHIP. ..............................................................................................................772-777
bell0026.txt Erection and Organization - Drainage - Roads - Post-Villages - Industries -
Schools - Churches

CHAPTER XXXVI ZERBE TOWNSHIP. .................................................................................................................777-783
bell0026.txt Organization and Boundaries - Pioneers - Origin, Growth, Present Business Interests,
and Secret Societies of Trevorton - Schools - Churches

CHAPTER XXXVII. MT. CARMEL TOWNSHIP. ...................................................................................................784-786
bell0026.txt Organization - Drainage and Roads - Collieries - Mining Villages - Churches

CHAPTER XXXVIII. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. .............................................................................................786-790
bell0026.txt Original Boundaries - First Township Officers - Pioneers - Industries - Rebuck -
Schools - Churches.

CHAPTER XXXIX. ROCKEFELLER TOWNSHIP. ..............................................................................................790 -796
bell0026.txt Organization and Boundaries - Drainage and Roads - Villages - Mills - Schools - Churches.

CHAPTER XL. RALPHO TOWNSHIP. .................................................................................................................796-800
bell0026.txt Successive Steps in the Proceedings by Which the Township was Erected - Line
of Division from Shamokin - Drainage and Roads Pioneers - Early History, Growth, and
Secret Societies of Elysburg - Industries - Schools - Churches

CHAPTER XLI. GEARHART TOWNSHIP. ............................................................................................................800-803
bell0026.txt Erection and Organization - The Founding, Growth, and Municipal Government
of the Borough of Riverside - South Danville - Schools - Churches - Cemetery

CHAPTER XLII. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Sunbury ......................................................................................804-860
bell0027.txt Pages 804 - 831.
bell0028.txt Pages 832 - 860.

CHAPTER XLIII. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Shamokin ................................................................................860-967
bell0029.txt Pages 860 - 887.
bell0030.txt Pages 888 - 918.
bell0031.txt Pages 918 - 940.
bell0032.txt Pages 940 - 967.

CHAPTER XLIV. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Milton ..................................................................................967-1013
bell0033.txt Pages 967 - 989.
bell0034.txt Pages 989 - 1013.

CHAPTER XLV. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Mt. Carmel ..........................................................................1013-1067
bell0035.txt  Pages 1013 - 1039
bell0036.txt  Pages 1039 - 1067

CHAPTER XLVI. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Watsontown ........................................................................1068-1092
bell0037.txt

CHAPTER XLVII. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Northumberland Borough and Point Township ..................1093-1106
bell0038.txt

CHAPTER XLVIII. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Turbut and Chillisquaque Townships ................................1106-1141
bell0039.txt

CHAPTER XLIX. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Lewis and Delaware Townships and
Boroughs of Turbutville and McEwensville ...........................................................................................................1141-1160
bell0040.txt

CHAPTER L. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Upper Augusta, Lower Augusta,
and Rockefeller Townships .....................................................................................................................................1160-1175
bell0041.txt

CHAPTER LI. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Shamokin, Ralpho, Rush, and Gearhart Townships,
and Boroughs of Snydertown and Riverside ............................................................................................................1175-1217
bell0042.txt Pages 1175 - 1195
bell0043.txt Pages 1195 - 1217

CHAPTER LII. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Zerbe (Trevorton), Cameron, Little Mahanoy, Jackson,
Lower Mahanoy, Washington, Jordan, and Upper Mahanoy Townships .................................................................1217-1239
bell0044.txt
 




Return to Northumberland County GenWeb Page     [Return to Northumberland County Archives Index Page]