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.pdf/117

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

narrow, and would require chai)ge$ in the plans that were radical, therefore the court grauted a temporary injunction. In the meantime K cv. D. J . W aller, S r., had offered a lot on iron street, between Seventh and Eighth, and in Ju ly the conmiis&ioners abandoned, the former location and accepted M r. W aller's donation. T he new site was open to some of the objections of the first one, but the commissioners adhered to their final decision, in the construction of the building they evaded (he order of (he court by granting contracts for the different parts of the siruc* turc to various contractors, some o f whom were simply hirelings o f K ru g. Another com­ plaint w as made that the cost had been in­ creased from the contract price o f $56,975, to $70,000. T he prison is a picturesque stone structure, surrounded by bearing fruit trees and well kept lawns. It lias a high basement, and two stories above, with a square tower on the middle front. A n oblong extension in the rear contains the cells, which arc arranged in two tiers on cither side o f a corridor, lighted by skylights in the arched roof. In the base­ ment are the workshops, steam heating plant and the dungeons. Baths, closets, ventilation, lighting and heating are all well provided for, and the cells are reasonably secure, being lined with metal and having two doors, o f steel and wood. POORHOUSES

The only other public buildings in the county arc the several district poorhouscs. In early years the poor were "farm ed out" to outsiders, a most u n satisfacto^ method. In 1866 an act w as passed authorizing a county poorhousc, but when the ({ucstion w as submitted to a vote it was found that only Bloom, Greenwood and Hemlock townships supported the project. In 1 8 ^ an act was passed authorizing the erec­ tion o f a poorhousc In Bloom township and providing that the application o f ten taxablcs m any other township should cause an election to be held to decide whether that township should unite with Bloom to form a poor dis­ trict. U nder this act the townships o f Scott, Greenwood and Sugarloaf united with Bloom. A farm o f 100 acres on Fishingereek was purchased, in Mount Pleasant township, havine thereon a brick and a frame house, the inmates being housed in the former. Other additions and imnrovemcnts have since been made. In later years the borough o f MillviUe has united with the Bloom poor district.

I n 18 6 9 th e to w n s h ip o f G in y n g h a m and th e lio ro u g h o f C e n tra lia o ig a n iz c d a d is tric t, a n d a fa r m o f s e v e n ty - fiv e a c re s w a s p u r­ ch ased, to g e th e r w it li su ita b le b u ild in gs, a ll o f w h ic h w e r e e x e m p te d fr o m ta x a tio n. In 1873 M a d is o n to w n s h ip a ls o fo r m e d a p o o r d is tr ic t a n d b o u gh t a fa r m o f lOO a c re s, u pon w h ic h its p o o r a r c c o m fo r t a b ly p r o v id t ^ fo r. T h e co u n ty it s e lf has n e v e r h ad a p o o r fa r m , and a p p a re n tly it is n o t g r e a t ly n eed ed, f o r p a u p ers a r e sca rce in th is t h r i f t y s ec tio n o f th e S ta le. TO W N S K irS T h e s e v e r a l to w n s h ip s o f C o lu m b ia co u n ty and th e d a tes o f th e ir e r e c tio n a r e a s f o l l o w s : Catawissa ............................................................ Fishingereek ...................................................... Briarcrcek ............................................................ Bloom ................................................................. Greenwood .......................................................... M ifflin ................................................................... Hemlock ............................................................. Sugarloaf ............................................................ M a d is o n ............................................................... Mount Pleasant ................................................. Koaringcreek ....................................................... Montour ............................................................. ladcson ............................................................... O r a n n ................................................................. F ra n ld in ............................................................... Centre ................................................................. M a i n ..................................................................... Beaver ................................................................. Uenion ................................................................. Locust ................................................................. Pine ..................................................................... Scott ..................................................................... C on yn gh am .......................................................... Cleveland ............................................................

1785 1789 17OT 1798 17^ 1799 1801 i8 ia 1817 1818 1832 i8j7 18^ 1839 18^ 1844 1844 1^5 1850 i8 s j iS y 185s 18^ 1893

S c o tt, P in e, L o c u s t, C o n y n g h a m a n d Q c v c la n d to w n s h ip s w e r e fo r m e d a f t e r th e e r e c tio n o f M o n to u r cou n ty. T h e r e a r e fif t y - f i v e e le c tio n district-s in C o lu m b ia c o u n ty in 1 9 1 4, th e ir n am es b e in g as fo l l o w s : B e a v e r, B e n to n b o ro u g h, B e n to n to w n sh ip , B e r w ic k n o rth ea st, B e r w ic k sou th east, B e r ­ w ic k n o rth w est, B e r w ic k so u th w est, B lo o m first. B lo o m secon d, B lo o m th ird, B lo o m fo u rth, B r ia rc r c e k ca st, B r ia r c r c e k sou th, B r ia r c r c e k w e s t, C a ta w is s a to w n s h ip, C a ta ­ w is s a b o ro u g h , C e n tra lia firs t, C e n tra lia secon d, C e n tre n o rth. C e n tre sou th, O e v e la n d , C onyngham cast-n orth, C o n y n g h a m w e s tn orth. C o n y n g h a m w e s t N o. i, C o n jm g h a m w e s t N o. 2, C o n v n g h a m sou th w est, C o n y n g ­ h am sou th east, F is h in e c r e e k ea st, F is h in g c rc c k wc-st. F r a n k lin. G r e e n w o o d east. G r e e n ­ w o o d w e s t. H e m lo c k n o rth. H e m lo c k sou th.