Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.djvu/46

 Robert Curry, came from Ireland in 1771 and settled in that part of this section now known as Liberty township, Montour county. His complete history, as well as that of the other pioneers mentioned further on in this chapter, will be given in the separate sketches of the different divisions.

James McClure, a Scotch-Irishman from Lancaster county, Pa, settled in 1772 near where the town of Bloomsburg is now located. About the same time Evan Owen (founder of Berwick) and John Doan bought land and located near him. Another later settler here was Samuel Boone, a Quaker, in 1775.

Moses Roberts, the builder of the first house at Catawissa, is next tn order of coming. He was a Quaker, from Maiden-creek, Berks county.

John Eves, the famous Quaker ancestor of all the members of that name in this section, located permanently at Millville in 1774. The same year Alexander McAuley, whose mysterious disappearance later on aroused the entire community, settled temporarily in Beaver township, on Scotch run.

In the year 1775 Michael Billheimer and Daniel Welliver, both from New Jersey, located amid the headwaters of Chillisquaque creek, now in Madison township, Columbia county.

On Nov. 26, 1774, William Montgomery purchased from J. Simpson 180 acres of land on Mahoning creek, on the north bank of the east branch of the Susquehanna, called "Karkaase" and on which the town of Danville was laid out in 1792 by his son Daniel Montgomery. In the fall of 1776, or early in the spring of 1777, William Montgomery moved his family to this section and occupied their recently built stone house. There, Oct. 8, 1777. was born his youngest son. Alexander. This house still stands in the town of Danville and is occupied by the descendants of William Montgomery in 1914. It is still in a good state of repair.

The year after the settlement of the Montgomerys was not one of general exodus to this section, owing to Indian depredations, but in 1779 an unfortunate family, whose name is unknown. were exterminated by the savages soon after they arrived at the site of Mifflinville. Valley township, Montour county, was the next scene of new arrivals, in the persons of Philip Maus and family, who came in 178a. The year following was the date of the settlement of the county above Orangeville, the leader of the party being Daniel McHenry.

Abraham Kline, whose name is a household word in that section, came from Germany in 1785 to establish himself and his large family on Fishing creek, around Orangeville. Three years later Leonard Rupert established his home at the mouth of Fishing creek and fixed upon that point a name which will forever cling to it. These were the leaders of the immigration to this county and their names will stand forth upon the pages of history beside those of others of this great nation who have made smooth the way of the present generation by conquering the wilderness and the savages who shared its sovereignty with the wild beasts.

REMINESCENCES

The conditions of society, the modes of living and the methods of business in Columbia county a hundred years ago and for twenty- five years thereafter were quite different from those of this brisk and prosperous age. Mr. I. W. Hartman, a former merchant of Bloomsburg, living in 1914, recalled many interesting things by which comparison may be made of the past with the present. Mr. Hartman said that if the average merchant of today was obliged to do business handicapped as they were in those days he would consider it almost an impossibility. When the everpresent commercial drummer was an unknown quantity, the only means the merchant had of replenishing his stock was by personally going to Philadelphia, which he did semi-annually, spring and fall. And as there was no railroad nearer than Pottsville the trip was not only costly but consumed a great deal of time. In those days there was only little cash business, alt goods being sold on six months’ time. Prior to his going to Philadelphia to purchase the stock the merchant would call upon his customers, collect from them what was coming, and taking the money with him would pay for the goods he had purchased six months previously. This was repeated twice a year, yet notwithstanding this crude financiering many of them amassed what in those days was considered an ample fortune. Of course a few goods were purchased in the interim, but owing to the cost of transportation and the time consumed in their delivery this was the exception.

The mailing facilities were as crude as others. There was a mail route from Williamsport to this place passing through Jerseytown. The mail was usually carried by a man on horseback, but in inclement weather he used a covered wagon. The postage at that time was five cents and subsequently reduced to three