Local History: Chapter XVI - Part II: BOROUGH OF MILTON. Bell's History
of Northumberland Co PA
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Transcribed from Bell's History of Northumberland County Pennsylvania
CHAPTER XVI. Part II
MILTON.
SECRET AND OTHER SOCIETIES - CHURCHES SUNDAY SCHOOLS - MISCELLANEOUS
MORAL AND HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS - EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS - LOCAL
PAPERS - CEMETERIES.
SECRET AND OTHER SOCIETIES.
The following is a list of secret societies, with dates of
institution or organization: Milton Lodge, No. 256, F. & A.M., September
13, 1851; Pilgrim's Encampment, No. 160, I.O.O.F., November 18, 1857,
and May 17, 1880; Mutual Lodge, No. 84, I.O.O.F., June 1, 1880; Canton
Mutual, No. 7, I.O.O.F., August 17, 1886; Henry Wilson Post, No. 129,
G.A.R., April 12, 1881; Hepburn Pollock Camp, No. 21, S. of V., July 6,
1883; Washington Camp, No. 188, P.O.S. of A., March 19, 1886; Milton
Castle, No. 265, K. G. E., April 3, 1889; West Branch Council, No. 414,
Jr. O.U.A.M., March 12, 1890.
CHURCHES.
The earliest religions services in the immediate vicinity of
Milton of which there is any well authenticated account were held by a
minister of the Reformed church on the west bank of the river. They were
attended by the families of Andrew Straub and others, who crossed the
river in boats. The clergyman was from Carlisle, Cumberland county,
Pennsylvania.
St. Joseph's Catholic Church had its origin immediately after the
close of the Revolutionary war, and is the oldest parish in the valley
of the West Branch. Although its early history is largely traditional,
it is well authenticated that a rude log building was erected for
religious purposes and some interments made on the farm of Martin
Kieffer by the Catholics of Turbut township as early as 1787, and before
the Indian troubles of the frontier had subsided. A missionary priest
would occasionally visit the settlement to celebrate Mass, instruct and
baptize the children, and preach the word of God to the little
congregation, thus keeping alive the spark of Catholic faith in the
hearts of these pioneer families. Among the pioneers of this faith at
Milton and in the adjoining country districts were the families of
Martin Kieffer and sons, John and Martin, Morris Lawrence, Jacob Spring,
and the Buoys, Cauls, McGees, O'Donnells, Riffles, Avels, Fillmans,
Gibsons, McBrides, McElarneys, Murphys, Schells, Shadmans, Divels,
Walters, Wolfingers, Yoegys, and others. The heads of these families
were principally natives of Ireland and Germany, who had left the land
of their forefathers to escape both religious and political persecution.
Many of them died here and were buried in St. Joseph's cemetery, two
miles east of Milton.
Four acres of ground for parochial and burial purposes were finally
deeded to Rev. Francis Neale of Georgetown, D.C., by John and Margaret
Kieffer, May 13, 1805, adjoining the site of the primitive log church in
which the congregation first worshiped, and early in the present century
a more pretentious log structure replaced the old building. The timbers
were cut and prepared on Montour ridge by Jacob Spring, and hauled to
their destination by John, Dennis, Peter, and Daniel Caul, Dennis Buoy,
and other members of the congregation. The building was in the form of a
square,
END OF PAGE 568
with the entrance on the northwest, the altar opposite, and a gallery
over the entrance. In due time it was dedicated, and placed under the
patronage of St. Joseph, by Rev. Francis Neale, who also consecrated the
cemetery on the same occasion. A brick parochial residence was afterward
erected by Rev. John Fitzpatrick, and many years later an orchard was
planted in the northern part of the grounds; of the church and residence
scarcely a vestige remains, but the orchard is still in a flourishing
condition.
Jacob Spring was the most munificent benefactor of St Joseph's
church, and his memory should forever be held in grateful remembrance by
the Catholics of the West Branch valley. On the 13th of September, 1836,
he deeded to Rt. Rev. Francis Patrick Kenrick, bishop of Philadelphia, a
farm of two hundred twelve acres in Chillisquaque township, the annual
income derived therefrom to be devoted to the maintenance of the pastor
of St. Joseph's church. About one half of this farm is under
cultivation, and to the wise foresight of its generous donor St.
Joseph's largely owes its present prosperity. Mr. Spring also requested
at his death sufficient means to build a stone wall around the
graveyard, which project was afterward carried out
The priests who first officiated here were from Philadelphia, and
the Jesuit Mission of Conewago, Adams county, Pennsylvania. About the
year 1820 Harrisburg became a parish, and included this congregation in
its field of labors. Subsequently it was attached to Pottsville, and
about 1825 Rev. John Fitzpatrick was appointed the first resident pastor
of St. Joseph's church. The following is a list of the successive
pastors since Father Fitzpatrick: Reverends Father Curtin, Edward
Maginniss, Father McGlorian, John C. Flannigan, Father Fitzsimmons
(under whose pastorate the first church at Milton was erected in 1844),
Father O'Keefe, John Hannigan, Father Kinney, Basil Shorb, Michael
Sheridan, George Gostenschnigg (who died while pastor, May 2, 1860), M.
Muhlberger, Emil Stenzel, J. J. Koch, Emil Stenzel, M. A. O'Neill,
Thomas J. Fleming, Louis Grotemeyer, W. F. McElhenny, and H. G. Ganss,
the present incumbent, who became pastor, November 14, 1881.
For more than half a century the congregation continued to hear
Mass and have the Gospel preached to them in the successive log churches
on the Kieffer farm. But when a new church finally became a necessity it
was decided to erect it at Milton, as a more convenient and desirable
location. Father Fitzsimmons was then pastor, and in 1844 a site was
purchased and a church erected thereon, at the brow of the hill on the
north side of Broadway, a short distance northeast of the old Milton
Academy. It was a plain brick structure two stories high, costing twelve
hundred dollars, and was the place of worship until its destruction by
fire, May 14, 1880. A temporary frame building was then erected and
occupied until the completion of the present church. On the 1st of
March, 1882, Father Ganss bought the prop-
END OF PAGE 569
erty previously known as the old academy hill, lying south and east of
the brick parochial residence built by his predecessor, and upon the
exact site of the academy he erected the present handsome church at a
total expense of about ten thousand dollars. The corner-stone was laid
by Bishop, Shanahan, September 3, 1882, and its dedication took place,
September 23, 1883, Bishop Shanahan officiating, assisted by Reverends
McBride, Koch, McGovern, O'Neill, and Ganss. Father Ganss subsequently
laid out the grounds in lawns and terraces, and the property is now one
of the handsomest in Milton. All this was accomplished under the most
trying difficulties, but with indomitable zeal and perseverance Father
Ganss carried the project to a successful completion. The interior of
the church is a perfect gem in design and finish, and the whole building
is in thorough harmony with the best and most approved ideas of English
Gothic architecture. It is conspicuously located on the old academy
hill, one of the most historic spots in Milton, and around which cluster
many of the tenderest ties and most sacred memories of pioneer days.
The Protestant Episcopal Church erected the first place of worship
at Milton. There were a number of English families in the vicinity of
the town at an early date, among them those of John Covert, William
Hull, Joseph Marr, McCurley, Samuel Stadden, and Matthias Webb, who,
with the families of Hepburn, Rittenhouse, Seydell, and others in the
village were early organized as a parish. In May, 1793, Matthias Webb
appeared at the diocesan convention in Philadelphia as their
representative with a petition requesting that Caleb Hopkins might be
appointed minister of "Christ church in Turbut township." But as Mr.
Hopkins had never studied the Greek and Latin languages, his
qualifications were not deemed sufficient, and a committee was appointed
to make further inquiry regarding his character and ability. At the
convention in the following year Bernard Hubley appeared as delegate
from Christ church in Derry township and Christ church in Turbut
township, and repeated the request for Mr. Hopkins's services as rector.
The committee having reported favorably, Mr. Hopkins was accordingly
ordained, He resided at that time or at a date several years later at
Bloomsburg, Columbia county; East street in that town was laid out by
him, and was known for some years under the local name of Hopkinsville.
He is represented as a man of tall and portly form, and although not a
classical scholar, his discourses were often eloquent. His field of
labor included that large part of Northumberland, Montour, and Columbia
counties embraced between the North and West Branches of the
Susquehanna, with preaching places at half a dozen points, and to his
work is justly due the honor of having established the churches of his
denomination in this section of the State.
On the 18th of August, 1795, Joseph Marr donated to Matthias Webb,
Samuel Stadden, and John Covert, trustees of the Turbut or Milton
"Christ Church," a small field from his farm for the double purpose of a
church site
END OF PAGE 570
and burial ground. A small log church edifice was erected thereon, with
gallery, and pulpit of the style then in vogue. This was situated on
Marr's lane, the boundary of the borough as erected in 1817, and at the
site of the present Lincoln Street school house. It was just beyond the
original northern limits of the borough, but may properly be regarded as
a Milton church, although Mr. Hopkins occasionally preached in the
afternoon under the trees on the bank of the river above Broadway to a
promiscuous congregation composed of his regular attendants at morning
service and other residents of the village. The Marr's lane church was
occupied until the year 1849, when a brick edifice was erected on the
north side of Upper Market street on a lot of ground donated for the
purpose by Roland McCurley of Union county. Rev. B. Wistar Morris was
pastor at the time, and the dedication occurred, July 17, 1849, Bishop
Potter officiating. This was the only church edifice that was not
destroyed in the great fire of 1880, and was appropriated to the use of
the Ladies' Relief Committee during the period of destitution that
followed that calamity.
In the year 1820 Mr. Hopkins was succeeded by Rev. Elijah D. Plumb,
who remained until 1826, and from that date the succession of rectors
has been as follows James Depui, 1826-34; Isaac W. Smith, 1835-36;
Joshua Weaver, 1844; B. Wistar Morris, 1847-49; John G. Furey, 1850;
William White Montgomery, 1853; J. W. Gougler, 1855; John G. Furey,
1861-63; Lewis W. Gibson, 1863-64; B. Hill Browne, 1865; J. H. Hobart
Millet, Charles A. Vandyke, 1868; George F. Rosenmiller, 1872-73; B. R.
Phelps, 1874; George F. Rosenmiller, 1875-76; Charles L. Newbold, 1876;
M. Karcher, 1877; W. H. Johnson, 1881; M. W. Christman, 1890, present
incumbent. At various times throughout its history the parish has been
without established pastoral service and dependent on the diocesan
missionary or the clergy of neighboring parishes for preaching and the
administration of the sacraments.
Methodist Episcopal.- The itinerant system of this denomination is
well adapted to the extension and sustentation of its organizations, in
sparsely settled districts, and hence at an early period in the history
of the church in this section its enterprising clergy had penetrated the
valley of the West Branch and established small but permanent societies.
One of these was at Milton, but the exact date of its organization and
its constituent membership can not be ascertained, although it is known
that the family names of Bennett, Buoy, Chamberlin, Clark, Covert,
Cowden, Crouse, Evans, Forest, Gillespie, Goodlander, Harris, Henry,
Hetherington, Hougendobler, Huff, Jones, Kepler, Longan, Markle, Mears,
Mervine, Murdock, Moody, Patterson, Randolph, Reeder, Strine, Tharp,
Sweney, Trego, Wheeland, White, Wilson, Woods, etc., were conspicuous in
the early records, although few of them are represented at the present
day.
The first services were held at private houses, and the
introduction of
END OF PAGE 571
Methodism therefore antedates the year 1796, when the first school house
of the town was erected. From that time until 1807 this school building
was occupied; in the latter year upon ground donated by Andrew Straub a
one-story log church was built on the north side of Lower Market street,
and the first ministers who preached here were Reverends Nicholas Willis
and Joel Smith. This was the place of worship during the ensuing thirty
years, and in a burial ground at the rear many of the older members were
interred, The location of the building was somewhat elevated, and as the
eastern wall was only partially constructed, there was an open space
beneath the floor, in which it is related that a flock of sheep
sometimes retired on sultry summer Sundays, confounding the eloquence of
the pulpit in a manner scarcely less exasperating than amusing. The
story is also told of a clergyman from Virginia, who remarked the number
of dogs in the audience and the absence of children, admonishing his
hearers that the canine element might well be dispensed with entirely
and much more attention bestowed upon the juvenile portion of humanity.
These incidents may serve to illustrate the humorous features of the
somewhat uneventful current of religious life in an inland village half
a century ago.
But the growth of the congregation at length exceeded the capacity
of this old church, and in 1837 it was sold to B. Bowers, by whom the
materials were removed and converted into a dwelling house on the north
side of Lower Market street, which was burned in 1880. A one-story brick
church was built on the ground now occupied by Center street where it
crosses Filbert on the east side of the canal; there was a basement
beneath, in which the Sunday school was conducted, and here the
congregation worshiped twenty-one years. In 1859 the lot was sold to the
borough authorities, and in the same year the third church edifice of
this congregation was built on Arch street above Broadway on the lot
subsequently occupied by the residence of John J. Fausnaught. In the
construction of the second edifice Thomas Evans had been chairman of the
building committee and the moving spirit; in the erection of the third
this position devolved upon Moses Chamberlin. The latter building was
substantially constructed of brick, two stories in height, without tower
or dome, and was the place of worship until destroyed by the fire of May
14, 1880, a period of twenty-one years. As it was thought that a more
central location was desirable a site was secured on the east side of
Front street below Center, and in the summer of 1880 the erection of the
present church edifice was begun thereon. It is a stone structure in the
Gothic style of architecture, ample in extent, and conveniently adapted
to the various purposes of a large congregation. The chapel was
dedicated, November 27, 1881, Bishop Andrews, Reverends Swallow and
Yocum, officiating. William K. Wertman, S. W. Murray, and Moses
Chamberlin were largely instrumental in the success of this enterprise.
The Northumberland circuit, embracing the entire West Branch valley
END OF PAGE 572
with other extensive territory, was formed on the 6th of May, 1791, at a
meeting of the Methodist Episcopal conference at Baltimore, Maryland.
Milton circuit was formed in 1841, and this church became a station in
1858. Under these different arrangements the following clergymen have
preached in this part of the county and at Milton at the respective
dates: 1791, Richard Parrott, Lewis Browning; 1792, James Campbell,
William Colbert; 1798, James Campbell, James Paynter; 1794, Robert
Mauley, John Broadhead; 1795, James Ward, Stephen Tinmous; 1796, James
Seward, Richard Sneath; 1797, John Lackey, Daniel Higby; 1798, John
Lackey, John Leach; 1799, James Moore, Benjamin Ridlack, Daniel Stevens;
1800, Ephraim Chambers, Edward Larkins, Asa Smith; 1801, Johnson Dunham,
Gilbert Carpenter; 1802, Anning Owen, James Aikens; 1803, Daniel Ryan,
James Ridgeway; 1804, Thomas Adams, Gideon Draper; 1805, Christopher
Fry, James Saunders; 1806, Robert Burch, John Swartzwelder; 1807,
Nicholas Willis, Joel Smith; 1808, Thomas Curren, John Rhodes; 1809,
Timothy Lee, Loving Grant; 1810, Abraham Dawson, Isaac Puffer; 1811, B.
G. Paddock, J. H. Baker, R. Lanning; 1812, George Thomas, Ebenezer
Doolittle; 1818, Joseph Kinkead, Israel Chamberlin; 1814, John Hazzard,
Abraham Dawson; 1815. Renaldo M. Everetts, Israel Cook; 1816, John
Thomas, A1pheus Davis; 1817, Benjamin Ridlack, Peter Baker; 1818, Gideon
Lanning, Abraham Dawson; 1819, John Rhodes, Darius Williams; 1820, John
Rhodes, Israel Cook; 1821, Marmaduke Pearce, John Thomas; 1822, John
Thomas, Mordecai Barry; 1823, Jacob R. Shepherd, Mordecai Barry; 1824,
R. Cadden, F. McCartney, R. Bond; 1825, Robert Cadden, Richard Bond;
1826, John Thomas, George Hildt; 1827, John Thomas, David Shaver; 1828,
Charles Kallfuss, William James; 1829, James W. Dunahay, Josiah Forest;
1830, James W. Dunahay, Alfred B. Eskridge; 1831, David Shaver; 1832,
Marmaduke Pearce, Isaiah Forest; 1833, Isaiah Forest, J. Reed, Jr.;
1834, Henry Tarring, Oliver Ege; 1835, Henry Tarring, J. Guyer, R.
Beers, T. Myers; 1836, Charles Kallfuss, J. T. Chaney; 1837, Charles
Kallfuss, John Hall; 1838-39, James Sanks, Ira T. Stratton; 1840, Thomas
Taneyhill, William Hirst; 1841, Thomas Taneyhill, James W. Miles - John
Bowen, William Hirst; 1842, John Bowen, Thomas M. Reese; 1843, George
Guyer, George A. Coffey; 1844, George Guyer, Alfred Wiles; 1845, Alem
Brittain, E. T. Busey; 1846, Alem Brittain, J. W. Tongue; 1847, H. G.
Dill, J. J. Pearce; 1848, H. G. Dill, B. B. Hamline; 1849, M. G.
Hamilton, David Castleman; 1850, M. G. Hamilton, John Moorhead; 1851-52,
P. B. Reese; 1853-54, J. S. McMurray; 1855, Franklin Dyson; (Milton
circuit: 1853, John Stine, S. Barnes; 1854, Thomas Taneyhill, C. C.
Maybee; 1855, Thomas Taneyhill, Franklin Dyson); 1856-57, S. Barnes;
1858-59, P. Rescorl; 1860-61, John W. Langley; 1862-63, Reuben Wilson;
1864-65, George W. Cooper; 1866-67, S. W. Sears; 1868-69, E. W. Kirby;
1870-72, William A. Houck; 1873-74, S. C. Swallow; 1876-77, A. D. Yocum;
1878-80, A. M. Barnitz; 1881,
END OF PAGE 573
William C. Robbins; 1882-84, Samuel Creighton; 1885-87, John B.
Polsgrove; 1888, Richard Hinkle, present pastor.
Presbyterian Church. There was a considerable Presbyterian element
among the early population of Milton and vicinity, connected with the
organizations of Warrior Run and Chillisquaque, of which the Rev. John
Bryson became the first regular pastor in 1789. After the erection of a
school house at Milton he began to preach there occasionally, but it was
not until the year 1806, ten years after these services were begun, that
arrangements were made for their regular continuance. In this movement
James P. Sanderson appears to have been the active spirit; he formulated
a subscription paper for the support of preaching "every other Sabbath
for one year from this date" (April 17, 1806), and in this manner the
sum of sixty-two dollars, fifty cents was pledged by the following
persons: John Armstrong, John Brady, Calhoon & Cowden, John Chestnut,
David Derickson, John Gillespie, Elizabeth Gallagher, Robert Gray, Edith
Hepburn, John Hetherington, James Humes, James Hutchinson, Polly Housel,
Jane Irwin, Samuel Jordan, Henry Kirk, James McCord, Arthur McGowan,
James Miller, Isaac Osmond, William and Thomas Pollock, John Quin,
Ezekiel and James P. Sanderson, James Seringer, Daniel Smith, Robert
Taggart, Moses Teas, and Bethuel Vincent. It is probable that this list
includes all the Presbyterians of the town, and also others without the
pale of that church. In the following year the subscription paper was
again circulated, and the following new names appear: Guyan Arthur, John
Davison, John L. Finney, Philip Goodman, James Moodie, George Searles,
and Samuel H. Wallis. Mr. Bryson continued to preach at Milton under
this arrangement, probably until 1812, and was connected with religious
and educational work in this and adjoining counties until his death,
August 3, 1855. In 1810 Rev. Thomas Hood succeeded him, and in 1811,
with the approbation of Northumberland Presbytery, he organized a church
at Milton, of which James P. Sanderson, Lazarus Finney, and Arthur
McGowan, the first elders, were installed, December 3, 1811.
The school houses on Lower Market street and Broadway and the
Episcopal church in Marr's lane were the places of worship until 1817,
when the Presbyterians united with the Lutheran and Reformed
congregations in the erection of Harmony church. This was abandoned in
1832, and from that time until 1838 the Baptist and Associate Reformed
churches were occupied. On the 29th of August, 1836, a congregational
meeting was held to devise measures for the erection of a church
building, and a committee was appointed to solicit subscriptions, but
the movement subsided without definite results. It was renewed at a
congregational meeting on the 8th of August, 1837, and pushed to a
successful consummation; July 29,1838, a one-story brick edifice on
Front street above Broadway was dedicated, and in this building the
congregation worshiped until 1856, when it was superseded by a two-story
brick edifice on the same site, dedicated August 16, 1857. This was
burned
END OF PAGE 574
in the fire of May 14, 1880. Services were then held under a tent on
Upper Market street, in the Episcopal church, the building of J. R.
Smith & Company, and the armory on Upper Market street, successively,
until the 25th of June, 1882, when the first service was held in the
lecture room of the present church edifice, and on the 21st of January,
1883, the audience room was occupied for the first time. This is a stone
structure; the main entrance is on Walnut street, and the spire rises to
the height of over one hundred fifty feet. The entire cost was forty-two
thousand dollars, and the dedication occurred, November 20, 1887,
Reverends R. F. Sample, D. D., and R. M. Patterson, D. D., officiating.
Rev. Thomas Hood was installed as pastor of this church, October 7,
1812, and dismissed, April 21, 1835; James Williamson, installed,
November 27, 1838, was dismissed, October 8, 1845; David Longmore, D.
D., installed, November 17, 1846, was dismissed, April 16, 1854; James
C. Watson, D. D., installed, December 14, 1854, died, August 31, 1880;
S. Henry Bell, installed, February 22, 1882, was dismissed, April 17,
1889; W. P. Breed, present pastor, was installed, February 10, 1890.
The following is a list of elders, with dates of ordination or
installation, and of death or removal from other cause: James P.
Sanderson, December 3, 1811, died, September 2, 1852; Lazarus Finney,
December 3, 1811, died, 1833; Arthur McGowan, December 3, 1811, died,
December 24, 1838; Robert Gray, August 14, 1819, ceased to act, 1843;
William Nesbit, August 14, 1819, died, 1863; Joseph Marr, May 17, 1827,
died, August, 1881; William L. Housel, May 17, 1827; Thomas Candor, May
17, 1827; John Vandyke, May 17, 1827, ceased to act, November 27, 1838;
Thomas Pollock, July 25, 1839; Joseph Bound, July 25, 1839, died, May
12, 1873; John Sample, November 23, 1839, ceased to act, May 20, 1849;
John Murray, November 16, 1849, died, July 8, 1866; Robert Candor,
November 16, 1849, died, January 10, 1881; Robert Hayes, November 16,
1849, ceased to act, May 2, 1863; John Finney, April 29, 1859, died,
July 3, 1877; William C. Lawson, April 29, 1859; David Krauser, April
29, 1859, died, August 11, 1875; William Stedden, April 29, 1859, died,
November 7, 1889; Samuel McMahan, January 14, 1871, ceased to act,
September 29, 1876; Samuel Oaks, January 14, 1871, died, January 3,
1887; Spencer L. Finney, January 14, 1871; Isaac D. Kase, March 29,
1885, died, February 12, l888; Robert M. Longmore March 29, 1885.
William C. Lawson, Spencer L. Finney, and Robert M. Longmore constitute
the present session
St. John's Reformed Church. It has been stated that the first
religious services in the immediate vicinity of Milton of which there is
any record were held by a Reformed minister. This denomination was
early represented among the German element, and although there is no
record of the organization it was doubtless among the first religious
bodies that secured regular pastoral services. The school house on Lower
Market street was the first
END OF PAGE 575
place of worship. In 1807, uniting with the Lutherans, a small one-story
log house on the south side of Mahoning street was purchased for school
and church purposes, and here the Rev. Justus Henry Fries and other
early Reformed preachers conducted worship and administered the
Sacraments agreeably to the usages of their church.
In 1817, neither the Presbyterian, Reformed, or Lutheran
congregations being strong enough numerically or financially to
undertake the erection of a church edifice individually, they united in
the construction of a union church building near the foot of the hill at
the eastern end of Mahoning street. In this movement Daniel R. Bright
was the leading spirit; associated with him as building trustees were
Adam Follmer and Adam Gundekunst, and under their supervision the
carpenter work was done by Conrad Henry, and the stone and brick work by
James Shearer and John Snyder. The corner-stone was laid, October 5,
1817, by the Reverends Hood, Repass, and Fries, in the presence of
Lutheran, Reformed, and Presbyterian people. The work did not progress
very rapidly, however, and it was not until the 23d and 24th of May,
(Sunday and Monday), 1819, that Harmony church was dedicated. At that
time the Reformed congregation was fully organized with Christian Markle
as elder and Joseph Rhoads as deacon, and Mr. Fries became its regularly
installed pastor.
As thus completed, Harmony church was a large two-story brick
edifice, fronting toward the west, and surmounted by a cupola and bell.
Spacious galleries extended around three sides of the church; the pulpit
was at the east side, made of beautiful carved work, and elevated
considerably. There were four entrances, two on the west and one each on
the north and south. The completion of so expensive a work of
architecture as this was considered at that day left the joint owners a
debt of several thousand dollars, for the liquidation of which resort
was had to a lottery. The tickets were sold at three dollars; but from
various causes the necessary amount was not realized. This was in 1822,
and in the month of June of that year, while the lottery scheme was
being energetically pushed, a singular natural phenomenon occurred. On
the afternoon of a clear day a small cloud was observed to rise in the
west; it crossed above the town, and without any of the other
accompaniments of a storm a single flash of lightning struck the steeple
of Harmony church, tearing a crooked furrow in the plastering of the
southeast side from the ceiling to the floor. This was regarded by many
as an indication of divine displeasure at the discord then prevailing
among the three churches, and disapproval of the methods resorted to in
raising money. At all events, the lottery was abandoned; the Lutheran
and Reformed churches paid the debt in 1827, and instituted civil
proceedings to compel the Presbyterians to contribute their share,
obtaining judgment in the sum of one thousand two hundred sixty-two
dollars. On the 27th of January, 1831, the interest of the Presbyterians
was sold at sheriff's sale and pur-
END OF PAGE 576
Page 577 contains a portrait of Charles H. Dickerman
Page 578 is blank.
chased by Adam Follmer for eight hundred dollars. The Reformed and
Lutheran congregations thus secured exclusive possession, and for nearly
a score of years were the joint occupants of the church, during which
period the name was somewhat more appropriate than during its previous
history. In 1850 the Lutherans withdrew, and from that date the Reformed
congregation owned and occupied the church individually until 1866.
At a congregational meeting in January, 1866, the desire for the
erection of a new church edifice was formally expressed by the
appointment of a building committee composed of Levi Truckenmiller,
William H. Frymire, J. M. Follmer, Charles Newhard, Aaron Reber, John
Houtz, and Jacob Houtz. The consistory at that time consisted of William
H. Frymire, Charles Newhard, Jacob M. Follmer, and Levi Balliet, elders;
deacons: John J. Fansnaught, William D. Snyder, Simon Gheris, and Aaron
Reber. The corner-stone was laid, May 17, 1866, and the dedication
occurred on the 18th of November following. The materials of the old
church were largely utilized, and the new building, two stories high and
constructed of brick, occupied the same site as the present place of
worship on the west side of Arch street above Broadway. It was destroyed
in the fire of May 14, 1880. July 24, 1881, the corner-stone of a new
church was laid; Charles Newhard, Israel Scott, Levi Balliet, John
Houtz, Peter Rangier, and Rev. S. B. Schafer, the pastor, constituted
the building committee. This edifice was completed in due time, but
owing to defective construction it was removed in 1887. The corner-stone
of the present church was laid on the 4th of September, 1887, and the
basement was used for the first time on the first Sunday in May, 1888.
This is a handsome brick structure with a seating capacity of eight
hundred, and cost seventeen thousand dollars. The Rev. Justus Henry
Fries continued to serve this church as pastor until 1823. He was
followed by Samuel Gutelius, 1824-27; Henry Wagner, 1827-35; Daniel
Gring, 1835-46; Ephraim Kieffer, English colleague to Mr. Gring, 1840-
44, followed by Henry Harbaugh, 1844-46, when he succeeded to the
pastorate entirely and remained until 1849; Edwin M. Long, 1840-52;
Albert G. Dole, 1853-65; Samuel H. Reid, 1866-73; F. F. Bahner, 1873-77;
S. B. Schafer, 1878-82; F. C. Yost, 1883-89; D. W. Ebbert, 1890, present
pastor.
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. Among the first Lutherans at
Milton were the families of Angstadt, Bastian, Beckley, Beidleman,
Bright, Burrman, Kreitzer, Dressier, Egner, Eckbert, Fidler, Follmer,
Freed, Gehrig, Goodman, Haller, Hartman, Hill, Kohr, Leib, Markle,
Morrison, Noriconk, Overpeck, Peeler, Peterman, Robins, Schreyer, Stine,
Strine, Swenk, Trout, Wilhelm, Wolfinger, etc. The first clergy of this
denomination who held services at Milton were traveling preachers who
visited this part of the State at irregular and infrequent intervals,
and their first place of worship was the school house erected on Lower
Market street in 1796. After the Broadway school house was built it
became the meeting place. In 1807, uniting with
END OF PAGE 579
the Reformed congregation, a small one-story log house on the south side
of Mahoning street was purchased for school and church purposes; but the
school was not a success, although occasional worship was conducted here
by the Reverends Eyer, Stock, and Engle. In 1817 the Lutherans were
represented by Adam Follmer in the building committee of Harmony church,
and at its dedication, May 23, 1819, they were regularly organized as a
church with Philip H. Shreyer as elder, John Hill as deacon, and Rev.
Philip Repass as pastor. When the interest of the Presbyterians in
Harmony church was sold it was purchased by Adam Follmer, a member of
this church, for the Lutheran and Reformed congregations, who worshiped
there until 1850, when the former disposed of their interest and erected
a two-story brick edifice on the south side of Mahoning street near the
central part of the town. It was dedicated, May 4, 1851. In 1868 this
was sold to the Evangelical church. On Sunday, August 25, 1867, the
corner-stone of a new church had been laid at the southeast corner of
Mahoning and Second streets, and on the 1st of November, 1868, the
lecture room of this edifice was dedicated. It was a brick building,
erected at a cost of thirty thousand dollars, and was justly regarded as
one of the most commodious churches in central Pennsylvania.
The fire of May 14, 1880, having destroyed this building, the
pastor, Rev. W. H. Gotwald, called a meeting of the council three days
later, at which it was resolved to undertake at once the work of
rebuilding. Assistance from the church at large was generously given in
the sum of five thousand five hundred thirty-three dollars, twenty-two
cents; the Lower Market Street and Center Street school buildings were
occupied until May 13, 1881, when the first service was held in the
lecture room of the new church. The architect was C. G. Wetzel, the
contractor, Charles Krug, and the cost, ten thousand dollars. The
lecture room was dedicated, May 15, 1881; the first service was held in
the audience room, March 19, 1882, and on the 26th of that month it also
was dedicated.
The first regular pastor was Rev. Philip Repass, who resided in
Union county and preached at Milton only at long intervals. His
successor, Rev. F. Waage, was the first resident pastor at Milton; his
field of labor included also Williamsport, Turbutville, Follmer's,
Muncy, Chillisquaque, Strawberry Ridge, and Hall's. He had charge three
years, 1826-29, and from that date the pastoral succession has been as
follows: William Garman, l829-30; C. P. Miller, 1831-33; J. G. Anspach,
June 19, 1836, to June, 1837; C. F. Stoever, September 2, 1837, to 1842;
Eli Swartz, 1842-44; Frederick Ruthrauf, April 1, 1845, to November,
1850; J. J Reimensnyder, April 17, 1851, to April 1, 1854; C. C. Culler,
June 30,1854, until death, August 19, 1860; T. T. Titus, March, 1861, to
April, 1863; S. P. Spreecher, May, 1863, to April, 1865; George Parsons,
July 1, 1865, to October 1, 1868; U. Graves, October 2, 1868, to
September 24, 1870; A. Buhrman, April, 1871, to 1873;
END OF PAGE 580
W. H. Gotwald, May 1, 1878, to 1887; J. M. Reimensnyder, present pastor,
assumed charge in 1887.
Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized, July 5, 1888, at
the Milton opera house, with about one hundred members, of whom the
following were elected as officers: Peter Oliphant, Edward Hoy, elders;
William Wetzel, Charles Gast, John Noriconk, Thomas Brooks, deacons.
Rev. J. A. Flickinger, then of West Sandlake, New York, preached his
first sermon to this congregation, July 8, 1888; he accepted a call to
become its pastor in September, removed to Milton November 27th, and
assumed the pastoral functions December 1st of the same year. The
congregation worshiped at the opera house during the erection of the
present church edifice on Center street east of Elm, of which the
corner-stone was laid, February 27, 1889, and the dedication occurred on
the 6th of October following. It is a brick building, with Sunday school
rooms in the rear; the audience room has galleries at the front and
aides, and a seating capacity of eight hundred.
The Associate Reformed Church was organized in 1818 by Rev. George
Junkin, and included among its membership the families of Pollock,
Arthur, Davison, Dieffenderfer, Dougal, Fleming, Hepburn, Hutchinson,
Kelchner, Landis, Mackey, Marr, Rittenhouse, Rhoads, Seibert, Teas,
Tweed, Vanlew, etc., most of whom had previously been connected with the
Presbyterian church and separated from it because of a preference for
Rouse's version of the Psalms and various other considerations. The
school houses of the town and the Episcopal church were the first places
of worship. In 1820 a frame church edifice was built in Church lane, now
called Filbert street, and the first meeting therein was held, January
19, 1821. This received the name of Shiloh church. In 1854 it was sold
to the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad Company, and a brick edifice was
erected on Walnut street at a cost of nine thousand dollars.
Rev. George Junkin, the first pastor, and the first resident
clergyman at Milton, resigned in 1830, and was succeeded by the
following ministers: William Wilson, 1831-36; John McKinley, 1837-39; J.
A. Crawford, 1840-45; Matthew Smith, 1847-48; W. H. T. Wylie, 1854-65.
From the latter date there was no regular pastor. The church edifice
erected in 1854 was burned in 1880 and the site was sold to the
Presbyterians. And thus this church, for many years a prominent factor
in the religious life of the town, ceased to exist.
The Milton Baptist Church originated in the labors of the Rev.
Eugene Kincaid, a missionary of that church who visited this place in
1826 while on a preaching tour through the West Branch region. There was
then but one member of his church here, Miss Susanna Thomas, but Mr.
Kincaid at once entered upon the work of preaching, and on the 25th of
August, 1826, organized a society with nine members, viz., Eugene
Kincaid and Almy his wife, William Thomas and Catherine his wife,
Susanna Thomas, Nathan
END OF PAGE 581
and Martha Delany, Sarah Watts, and Harriet Geddis. The first service of
baptism by immersion in the Susquehanna at this point occurred on
Sunday, September 10, 1826, immediately after the morning sermon, when
the missionary pastor baptized his recent converts in the presence of a
large concourse of people assembled on the river banks. The first
deacons of this church, James Moore, Sr., and William Thomas, were
ordained in August, 1832.
The first church building, a plain one-story brick building of
medium size, with steeple and bell, was built in 1829 on the west side
of Church lane (Filbert street), upon ground donated for the purpose by
James Moore, and served as a place of worship until 1868. In that year a
two-story brick edifice was erected at the southeast corner of Elm and
Center streets. It was burned in 1880, and was succeeded by the present
church building, a brick structure with tower in front, one of the most
substantial and attractive places of worship in the borough.
The following is a list of pastors since the organization of the
church: Eugenio Kincaid, 1826-30; George Higgins, 1830-34; Thomas B.
Brown, 1835-37; David C. Wait, 1838-39; Collins Hewitt, 1840-45; Joel E.
Bradley, 1846-52; Howard Malcolm, D. D., president of Bucknell
University, 1853-56; Thomas F. Curtis, D. D., professor in Bucknell
University, 1856-63; James Parker, T. E. Clapp, and William B. Thomas,
1864-68; A. C. Wheat, 1868-70; Joseph Green Miles, 1871-78; E. C. Houck,
A. H. Emmons, and W. C. McNaul, present pastor.
Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, as an organized body,
dates from the year 1849, when the old Broadway school house was
purchased and removed to its present location on the hill east of the
railroad; there it has since been the place of worship for this
congregation. Traveling clergymen had occasionally visited Milton prior
to the date given, but the society did not enjoy the advantages of
regular pastoral care until the arrival of the Rev. Philip Lum, who has
been succeeded by the following ministers: Reverends Jacob Trusty,
Shadrach Golding, Samuel Gray, J. P. Laws, John Scott, John Carter,
Basle Macall, Joseph Sinclair, John Carter; John Cox, John Anderson,
Isaac Coleman, Charles Wallis, Mr. Spence, H. H. Baskiston, James
Barnes, James Henry, John Price, Bluford Powell, Taylor Brown, Mitchell,
Tillman, Dangerfield, Ephraim Frisbee, and John H. Williams, present
pastor.
The Evangelical Association established a mission at Milton in 1866
under the Rev. Samuel Davis, who labored here for two years with marked
success in the old Lutheran church on Mahoning street. A society was
regularly organized in the spring of 1869 under Rev. J. M. Pines. In
1870 a lot of ground on Lower Market street was purchased for a church
site, and a log house thereon fitted up for temporary occupation as a
place of worship. This was removed in 1872, and the erection of a frame
church building, forty by seventy-four feet in dimensions, was begun; it
was dedicated, January 31, 1875,
END OF PAGE 582
by Bishop Rudolph Dubs, and at that time the society numbered eighty-
four members. This church was burned, May 14, 1880; the erection of the
present edifice was at once began, and it was dedicated, December 18,
1881. The following is a list of pastors: Reverends Samuel Davis, J. M.
Pines, A. H. Irvin, Henry B. Hertzler, Adam W. Schenberger, S. P. Remer,
Henry A. Stoke, J. A. Irvin, C. W. Finkbinder, A. H. Irvin and G. W.
Curran, the present pastor.
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was organized in
1878 by Rev. William Williamson, and worshiped until the fire of 1880 in
a warehouse on Broadway at the canal. Then for two years their services
were held at the house of Edward Carter, and after several years' effort
the present frame church edifice was erected on Willow street. The
trustees in 1881 were Edward Carter, James Bond, Cyrus Woodson, and
George Hector. Reverends Williamson, Henderson, Palmer, Riley, Skinner,
Steward, Woodson, and Thomas have successively served as pastors, Mr.
Thomas being the present incumbent.
SUNDAY SCHOOLS.
The first Sunday school in Milton was commenced in the spring of
1815 in the Broadway Street school house, subsequently the African
Methodist church. The names of the teachers and officers were as
follows: superintendent, Benjamin Vincent; teachers: B. Vincent, Thomas
Chestnut, Joseph B. Anthony, James Armstrong, Thomas Armstrong, Fleming
W. Pollock, James P. Sanderson, Henry P. Sanderson, Sally Vincent,
Eleanor Sanderson, Katy Chestnut, Ann Chestnut, Hannah Reese, Polly
Armstrong, and Nancy Reese. Each scholar furnished his own books, which
included the Bible, hymn book, and catechism. Regular attendance was
encouraged by the distribution each Sunday of blue pasteboard cards,
upon each of which a verse of Scripture was printed, and a certain
number of these entitled the holder, by a species of arithmetical
progression, to a Testament or Bible.
The second Sunday school was organized in the spring of 1816 at the
frame dwelling house of David Derickson on Front street. It was
conducted entirely by ladies, and the executive authority was vested in
two directresses, elected monthly. The teachers were Mary Vincent,
Eleanor Sanderson, Hannah Reese, Mrs. David Rittenhouse, Mrs. Samuel
Hepburn, Mrs. Jeannie Brady, Mrs. Mary Jones, Mrs. Joseph Campbell, and
Martha Johnson. Misses Vincent and Sanderson were the first two
directresses. The Derickson room having been found too small, more
commodious quarters were found at the house of David Rittenhouse, then
in course of erection. The school was composed principally of very young
children, and with the approach of winter its sessions were suspended,
never to be again resumed.
Sunday school work was not again undertaken until 1825, when a
third organization came into existence at the suggestion of Rev. Thomas
Hood,
END OF PAGE 583
pastor of the Presbyterian church. This school met at the Lower Market
Street school house, and Arthur McGowan was its first superintendent.
Among the first teachers were Joseph Marr, Phineas B. Marr, Daniel
Gaston, Samuel F. Headley, David Hull, Hannah Reese, Mary McGowan,
Martha Jones, and others. In 1826 Mr. McGowan was succeeded by William
Housel; at that date John M. Patton was secretary of the school, and its
teachers were Daniel Gaston, Samuel F. Headley, David Hull, John F.
Wolfinger, Hannah Reese, Mary McGowan, Martha Jones, Hannah Maria
Hepburn, Maria Buchanan, and Elizabeth Moore. Subsequently the school
met at Harmony church, then again at the school house; in 1833 it was
moved into John Chestnut's frame building on Front street; then to the
Lancasterian school house on Elm street, and in 1838 to the Presbyterian
church. At the latter date it became a Presbyterian school, with Joseph
Bound as superintendent, and has since continued its career of
prosperous usefulness.
The fourth Sunday school of the town, organized exclusively for
very young children, was commenced in the spring of 1826 in the east
room of a frame house that stood at the corner of Elm and Mahoning
streets. The first superintendent was Samuel F. Headley, and his
immediate successor was David Hull. The place of meeting was
subsequently changed to John Chestnut's saddler shop on Front street,
but the school disbanded when Mr. Hull retired from the superintendency.
In the spring or summer of 1820 the Associate Reformed Sunday
school was organized in the Rev. George Junkin's church with Matthew
Laird and Daniel Gaston as superintendents. The first teachers were
Daniel Gaston, Joseph Marr, Phineas B. Marr, Samuel F. Headley, David
Hull, Samuel Pollock, James Pollock, James Ireland, William Ireland,
Ellen Sanderson, Sarah McCleery, Jane McCleery, Jane Hutchinson, Ellen
(or Eleanor) Hutchinson, Hannah Rittenhouse, and Mary Rittenhouse. May
26, 1833, it gave place to another school organized in the same church
with Dr. Samuel Pollock as superintendent. From 1833 to 1839 it had an
average attendance of seventy scholars, and was continued with varying
success until April 1, 1865, when it disbanded entirely.
The Baptist Sunday school was organized in March, 1833, with
William Thomas and James Moore, Sr., as superintendents. Among the first
teachers were Robert M. Seydell, James Ward, and Mrs. Harriet Markle. It
is still continued with a large measure of usefulness, and has been a
sectarian organization throughout its history.
The Methodist Sunday school was organized in 1837 with Robert
Moodie and John Nevins as its first superintendents. Among the teachers
at an early period in its history were Thomas Evans, Moses Chamberlin,
Thomas Mervine, James White, John Clark, Katy Hougendobler, and Rachel
Correy. This school has always been distinctively denominational in its
character, and has shared in the prosperity of the flourishing
organization with which it is connected.
END OF PAGE 584
In the spring of 1838 the Lutheran and Reformed congregations
established Harmony Sunday school under the superintendency of Daniel
Vanlew. July 20, 1840, it was reorganized under the name of the "New
Harmony Sunday School," with Daniel Vanlew, superintendent; Abraham T.
Goodman, librarian; Daniel Sterner, secretary; Daniel S. Goodman,
treasurer, and L. L. Beidleman, John Datesman, Frederick Goodman, and
Thomas Strine, managers. On the 16th of October in the same year the
name was changed to "Union Sunday School," and under this name it was
continued until August 9, 1847, when it became a distinctively Lutheran
school and has so continued. In the year ending July 26,1847, it
numbered one hundred thirty scholars and twenty-two teachers, and had a
library of three hundred fifty volumes. The Bible class was organized,
July 18, 1854, and the infant department, November, 5, 1854.
The Reformed Sunday school was organized, June 1, 1851, under
William H. Frymire as its first superintendent, and is still continued
with a fair degree of prosperity.
The first African Sunday school was started in 1850 under the
management of John Chambers and Mrs. Sarah Carter. A second was begun in
1878.
The Evangelical Sunday school was organized in 1868, with Rev.
Samuel Davis as first superintendent, and, although one of the most
recently formed in the town, has proven a useful adjunct to that church.
A Lutheran mission school was established in 1873 with Isaiah
Ditzler as superintendent. This is still continued as the Sunday school
of Christ Lutheran church
MISCELLANEOUS MORAL AND HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS.
The Susquehanna Bible Society was formed in 1815, embracing the
counties of Northumberland, Columbia, Lycoming, and Union, and its first
meeting was held at Milton, October 20,1816. It sustained an existence
of fluctuating vitality for twenty-three years, and doubtless subserved
a useful purpose.
The Milton Bible Society, auxiliary to the Susquehanna Bible
Society, was originally organized in 1816. It became extinct in 1829,
but was reorganized, August 20, 1839, with Rev. James Williamson,
president; Reverends John McKinley, Charles F. Stoever, and John Miller,
and Samuel Hepburn, vice-presidents; John F. Wolfinger, secretary, and
James Pollock, treasurer. Its expressed object was "to distribute the
sacred Scriptures without note or comment, and to aid the Susquehanna
Bible Society with its surplus funds." It was superseded after six years
of active existence by the Female Bible Society of Milton, organized
August 23, 1845, which became a valuable adjunct to the churches of the
town in disseminating religious truth.
The Northumberland Missionary Society was formed in October, 1818;
END OF PAGE 585
it was coextensive with the Susquehanna Bible Society in territorial
extent, and was designed to provide preaching for destitute or
indifferent localities as well as to extend the circulation of the
Bible. The first officers were Rev. John Bryson, president; Rev. Thomas
Hood, secretary, and James P. Sanderson, treasurer, in addition to whom
there were three vice-presidents and nine laymen as managers. The
Auxiliary Missionary Society of Milton was organized, October 8, 1824,
for the purpose of promoting the interests of the parent body.
The Milton Sunday School Union was organized in 1826, and included
all the Sunday schools in Northumberland, Columbia, Union, and Lycoming
counties. Meetings were held annually for several years, and tabulated
statements transmitted to the American Sunday School Union at
Philadelphia. These embraced a summary of the condition of each school,
numerical and financial, its officers, literature, etc. It does not
appear that this association enjoyed a very long period of active
existence.
The Susquehanna Tract Society was formed at Milton in 1828. The
first tract depositarian and the active spirit in the movement was Rev
George Junkin; he was successively followed by Eliza McGuigan and John
F. Wolfinger, and the latter, under direction of the Philadelphia Tract
Society, wound up its affairs. There was a Milton society auxiliary to
this and formed about the same time.
The Milton Temperance Society was organized in 1830, mainly through
the efforts of Rev. George Junkin, its first president. Two years later
Rev. John Rhodes was president and John F. Wolfinger, secretary. While
this society denounced the use of ardent spirits as a beverage, it
permitted the use of wine, beer, ale, and cider, and it was not until
March 20, 1835, that a total abstinence organization, the Milton
Reformed Temperance Society, was formed, its first president being
Joseph Bound and first secretary John F. Wolfinger. They sustained the
same official connection with the other society, and by the united
efforts of the two organizations temperance meetings were held and
addressed by the best local talent as well as by speakers from a
distance. They also cooperated with similar societies at other points in
a series of "Northern Temperance Conventions," which were held at
various points in the West Branch valley and formed an important part of
the temperance propaganda in this section of the State at that period.
The Milton Association for the Better Observance of the Christian
Sabbath was formed in 1844 with Joseph Rhoads as president and John F.
Wolfinger as secretary. It was designed to secure the enforcement of
Civil enactments regarding Sabbath observance and to promote the growth
of public sentiment favorable to such observance, in both of which
objects it met the expectations of its friends.
The Young Men's Christian Association of Milton had its inception
in 1872. An organization under that name was formed at the Presbyterian
END OF PAGE 586
Page 587 contains a portrait of Samuel Y. Shimer
Page 588 is blank.
church on the 9th of April, 1858, but through lack of competent
leadership it disbanded after a brief career. The present association
was originally organized, March 8, 1872, as the "Young Men's Prayer
Meeting of Milton" with seventeen members, of whom John A. Bright was
elected president and John M. Caldwell secretary. This was effected at
the study of the Lutheran pastor. In the following year the name was
changed to "The Young People's Prayer Meeting of Milton," and on the
16th of April, 1876, it became "The Christian Association of Milton,"
with a membership including both sexes and all ages. The present name
was adopted, June 30, 1878, when the officers were as follows:
president, Spencer L. Finney; vice-presidents: William P. Wheeland and
William B. Snyder; secretary, John F. Wolfinger; treasurer, George T.
Gawby, and librarian, John M. Caldwell. Hitherto it had been purely a
local organization, but became associated with the district and State
movements on the 1st of March, 1887. In April, 1889, A. Murrman,
assistant secretary at Harrisburg, was sent to Milton by the State
committee and effected an organization upon the present basis with a
board of managers composed of John M. Caldwell, president; B. B. Cannon,
vice-president; R. M. Longmore, treasurer; John M. Correy, recording
secretary, H. R. Frick, S. W. Murray, D. Clinger, A. A. Koser, J. M.
Hedenburg, J. D. Hartzel, John Y. Buoy, U. G. Beck, S. J. Shimer, W. H.
Beck, and A. L. Swartz. For some years the meetings were held at the
different churches, and it was not until 1887 that rooms were secured
specially for the use of the association. The present quarters on Front
street were first occupied in September, 1889, when Mr. Murrman assumed
charge as general secretary, and from that date the usefulness of the
association in its social features may properly be said to have begun.
The membership in June, 1890, was seventy-two.
EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS.
Educational effort at Milton, no less than the material
development of the town, received its early impetus from Andrew Straub.
On the 30th of August, 1798, he conveyed to John Teitsworth, John
Cochran, John Chestnut, John Armstrong, and George Calhoon, trustees,
lot No. 90 of the town plot, "for and in consideration of the great
desire" he had "to promote the education of youth in the town of Milton"
and at the nominal sum of five shillings. It was expressly stipulated
that the lot in question should be used "for the only purpose of a
school house being erected thereon and a regular English or other school
being kept for the education of youth in the town of Milton, and
whatsoever other uses may be considered as beneficial to said school by
the trustees thereof."
At the time this deed was executed a school house had already been
erected. It was a small log building, and stood on the triangular lot of
ground on Lower Market street near the location of a brick school
building erected there in 1872. The first teacher was James Cochran, and
his im-
END OF PAGE 587
mediate successors were James McGuigan and William H. Sanderson. This
was the only school house in the lower part of the town from the time of
its erection in 1796 until the year 1807. It continued to be used for
educational purposes until 1838.
In 1802 a one-story frame school building was erected on Broadway
at the site of the school house burned at that place in 1880. This was
attended by the school population of the upper part of the village, and
the first teacher was John L. Finney, subsequently register and recorder
of Northumberland county.
Hitherto no provision had been made for the education of the German
element, which formed a considerable part of the population. In 1807 a
log school house was built on Mahoning street by the joint efforts of
the Reformed and Lutheran congregations; it was designed to serve for
both school and church purposes, and the school conducted here combined
religious and secular instruction. But it did not prosper, perhaps
because the English schools offered superior advantages, and the
enterprise was abandoned.
In 1838 the log school house originally erected on Lower Market
street was sold and removed to the vicinity of the old stone mill at the
mouth of Limestone run, where it was rebuilt and used as a blacksmith
shop. Its former site was marked by a depression in the ground, which
formed a pond and in the winter afforded skating for the juvenile
population that congregated at its successor, a brick school house of
two rooms erected in 1838 by Thomas S. Mackey under the auspices of the
local board of directors.
Secondary education early received attention at Milton. In 1815
Joseph D. Biles established an English school at the Broadway school
house, adding Latin and Greek to his curriculum in the following year.
This gained for his school the name of "The Milton Academy," thus for
the first time applied to an educational institution at this place. In
1817 it numbered among its students John F. Wolfinger, for many years a
member of the Northumberland county bar, Samuel Pollock, and James
Pollock, afterward Governor of Pennsylvania. But this school did not
long continue, and other pedagogues succeeded Biles whose inclination
did not impel them to continue the advanced course of study that he
established. The Broadway school house continued in use for educational
purposes until 1849, when it was sold by the directors and rebuilt at a
different location as an African Methodist church. In the same year it
was replaced by a new brick school building, which was destroyed in the
fire of 1880.
The Lancasterian system was introduced in 1830, and was the next
attempt to establish a school of advanced standing. This was so called
from Joseph Lancaster, an English educator by whom it was elaborated,
and its distinguishing feature was the employment of pupils in the
higher classes, or the most proficient pupil in each class, as
assistants to the teacher. The Milton Lancasterian Association, of
which Henry Frick and Joseph Rhoads
END OF PAGE 588
were the leading members, introduced the system at this place. The
school was conducted in a building at the site of the Center Street
school house, owned by the association was erected in 1830. The first
principal was A. T. W. Wright, a gentleman of fine education from
Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and under his administration the school
attained a fair degree of prosperity and popularity. He was succeeded by
Charles Guenther, who did not, unfortunately, possess the qualifications
of his predecessor; the association became involved financially, and its
property was sold at sheriffs sale. It was purchased by Henry Frick, and
subsequently passed to the school directors; they divided it into three
rooms, two of which, those on the east and west, were used for school
purposes, while the apartment in the center was appropriated to the
purposes of an armory.
The Milton Academy, the leading educational institution of the West
Branch valley during the period of its existence, originated with the
Rev. George Junkin, pastor of the Presbyterian church and the moving
spirit in many public enterprises of a moral and educational character.
Through his efforts a stock company was formed, composed of Samuel
Hepburn, Joseph Rhoads, William H. Sanderson, Samuel Teas, Sarah
Pollock, and others, by whom a plain, one-story brick building was
erected at a cost of four hundred dollars at the brow of the hill on the
north side of Broadway, and a short distance to the east of the frame
school building previously mentioned. The entrance was on the western
side, and from its elevated location the academy commanded a view of the
town, the river, and the valley. The interior was divided into two rooms
by a narrow entrance hall. The apartment on the north was the smaller of
the two; it was occupied by the students in Latin and Greek, the higher
mathematics, rhetoric, etc., while the other room was set apart for
those who had not advanced beyond the ordinary English branches. A small
cupola surmounted the building, but the necessary appendage of a bell
was never provided.
The first principal of the academy, to whom its usefulness as an
institution of learning and the high character it maintained were
principally due, was the Rev. David Kirkpatrick. He was employed as a
teacher of the classics at Oxford, Chester county, Pennsylvania, when
Mr. Junkin formed his acquaintance and prevailed on him to change the
field of his labors; he accordingly came to Milton, and on the second
Monday of May, 1822, opened a classical school at a frame building that
occupied the site of Dr. James McCleery's residence on Front street. In
the following October he removed his school to the academy building,
where he taught until November, 1834, assisted at different times by a
Mr. Mayne, Thomas C. Hambly, and others. Among his students were many
who subsequently acquired honorable rank in the legal and medical
professions, and as clergymen, teachers, civil engineers, etc.
The Milton Classical Institute was the next institution of advanced
char-
END OF PAGE 589
acter in the borough. It was founded by a company of citizens in 1859,
and placed in charge of Rev William H. T. Wylie, pastor of the Reformed
Presbyterian church. The building was a two story brick structure,
erected at a cost of six thousand dollars, and situated on Prospect Hill
at the site of a school house erected there in 1845 by the school board.
After Mr. Wylie retired the owners disposed of the property to Colonel
Wright, of Rochester, New York, by whom the school was continued until
the building was destroyed by fire in 1867.
The first school building on Center street, as previously stated,
was that erected by the Lancasterian Association. It was used for school
purposes until 1859, when it was replaced by a brick structure two
stories in height and containing four rooms. The main entrance was on
the south side, with side-doors on the east and west, and the building
was raised somewhat above the level of the lot. This school house was
doubtless creditable to the town at the time when it was built, and was
the largest in the borough at the time of its destruction by fire in
1880. It was immediately replaced by the present Center Street building,
a brick structure of ample and symmetrical proportions, convenient
arrangement, and careful adaptation to the purposes required. It was
dedicated on the 25th of February, 1881, with appropriate musical and
literary exercises, including an address by J. P. Wickersham, State
superintendent; the cost was eleven thousand eight hundred dollars.
The Lower Market Street school house, a one-story brick building
containing two rooms, was built in 1872, and is the only school house of
the borough that escaped destruction in the fire of 1880. It is situated
upon the lot originally deeded for school purposes by Andrew Straub in
1798, and is the third building there erected.
The borough high school was organized in 1878, and embraces in its
course of study the higher mathematics, Latin, chemistry, botany,
physics, mental science, and the English branches. The principals have
been as follows: William Foulk, J. Elliott Ross, William Deatrick, E. R.
Deatrick, and S. O. Goho; the last named is the present incumbent, and
was first elected to this position in 1883. Its duties include also the
supervision of the other departments of the schools, and a district
superintendency is contemplated.
LOCAL PAPERS.
The newspapers of Milton have been a factor in its literary
activity and material development since 1816. Henry Frick issued the
first number of The Miltonian on the 21st of September in that year, and
the journal thus established has been continuously published longer than
any other in the county. The succession of local newspapers since that
date has been as follows: The States Advocate, The West Branch Farmer
and True Democrat, The Northumbrian, The Milton Ledger, The Advocate
and Day-Spring, The Milton Democrat, The Northumberland County Herald,
The Milton
END OF PAGE 590
Argus, The Milton Economist (consolidated with the Argus under the name
of The Milton Record), and The Standard. Three papers are published at
present, the Miltonian and Record (weekly), and the Standard (tri-
weekly).
CEMETERIES
The earliest place of interment in the vicinity of Milton was
south of Ferry lane between Front street and the river. The next was the
Reformed burying ground, donated by Andrew Straub in 1793, and the third
was the Episcopal graveyard, ground for which was given in 1794 by
Joseph Marr. Straub also gave the ground for a Methodist burial place.
The old Presbyterian cemetery grounds were conferred upon that
congregation by Daniel Scudder. All these places of interment have been
abandoned, and the remains buried there have been removed.
The Milton Cemetery Association, incorporated in 1853, controls
what is popularly known as the "upper cemetery," a tract of land east of
the Philadelphia and Erie railroad, possessing great natural beauty of
scenery, enhanced by tasteful and artistic arrangement of shrubbery,
etc. Among the recent interments here was that of ex-Governor James
Pollock.
The Harmony Cemetery Association, incorporated in 1860, controls
the burial ground formerly attached to the old Harmony church, and hence
the place of interment of many of the German families of the community
through several generations.
END OF CHAPTER XVI.