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/139

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

in SuDivan county by way of the Bloonisburg & Sullivan. Until 1889 the nearest point to reach the Philadelphia & Reading railroad from Blooms­ burg was at Rupert, two miles distant, where an omnibus line met all passenger trains. T ravelers o f those days will remember the dusty ride to town in the rumbling coach. A branch of the Reading w as constructed into Bloomsburg in 1889, with its terminal at Fifth and Railroad streets, where a building was erected by courtesy called a station. It was something better than a "shack” but not much more than a respectable "shanty.” A t one time an effort w as made to locate the station on M arket street diagonally across from the Lackawanna de]>ot, which would necessitate crossing the tracks of the latter company be­ low the town. T his was resisted by the Lack­ awanna Company, but a fte r several years’ litigation the Reading procured a favorable decision from the Supreme court. The project was abandoned, however, owing to the finan­ cial stringency of the Reading at that time, and also to the fact that heavy damages were de­ manded by property owners in case their lands were confiscated by the railroad. The old lo­ cation w as retained, and in ip t s a handsome new depot was erected, the grounds neatly laid out, and every convenience provided for both passenger and freight traffic. M r. F. R. Carpenter w as the agent of the Reading Com­ pany at Rupert before the building of the an­ nex, from 1883. and since 1889 has had charge of the Bloomsburg station. H is services at the two places cover a period o f thirty-one years, and he has alw ays been and is a most efficient and obliging official. The f.ackawanna Railroad Company also has been fortunate in having as its agent at Bloomsburg a man whose cffwiency and popu­ larity liave caused his retention in that posi­ tion from 1882 up to the present time. Mr. W. R. Kochcr, while thoroughly attentive to his official duties, is also engaged in the coal trade. H e is an active and useful citizen, in both business and religious relations, being an officer of the Methodist Church and also of the Business Men’s Association. He was president of the town council in 1897. The Lackawanna freight station was dcstroyc<l by fire on Ma)' 2, 19 14, and a new brick structure has taken its place. It is o f rough pressed brick made by the Bloomsburg Brick Company, and is far more commodious and attractive than the former one. T he returns of the mercantile appraiser for 1886 showed an aggregate o f seventy-one

dealers in various commodities. H ardly onethird o f that number existed in 1858. In 19 14 the appraiser’s figures fo r Bloomsburg are 165 dealers, wholesale and retail. A s the town grew in size the plat w as added to by many lots and additions, under various names, most o f which arc now forgotten. B e ­ sides "ilopkin sville,” before mentioned, there were the suburbs o f "P o rt Noble,” on the banks of the can al; "Sn yd er's addition.” made in 18 3 7 : "W elsh H ill,” formed by Rev. D. J. W aller in 1845: "R am say’s addition,” from its owner, D r. John R am say: "H u rley’s addition” o f 18 4 8; "Scottown,” from Dr. David N . Scott, on the southwest; the "R u p ert & Barton addition,” bounded by Fourth, Iron and E ast streets and the can al; “ Morgantown,” at the Irondale furnaces; and “ Kabbtown.” at the Bloom furnaces. IN C O K P O R A T IO N — P O P U L A T IO N

EUoom township was one of the original twelve with which the county was organized in 18 13. From it at various periods were taken portions to be added to Mount Pleasant, Orange, Centre and Scott. The final remains were o^an ized in 1870 as the Town o f Bloomsburg, and include all the land between the two great bends o f Fishing creek, the Susquehanna and the township of Scott. A fte r the last slice had been taken from Bloom township and the town incorporated the population in i860 w as 2,668: in 1870, 3.34 0; in i88o. 3.70 2: in 1890. 4 .6 35: in 1900. 6 ,17 0; in 19 10. 7,413. T he town council consists o f a president and six mem l>ers. w Ik > a re elected annually. Since the o i^ n izatio n of the town the officials have been as follow s; 1870— President, E lias Mendenhall; mem­ bers. Joseph Shaqilcss, Stephen K norr, W. H. Koons, I*. C. Ever, Caleb Barton, C. G. Barkley. 18 7 1— President, E lias Mendenhall; m em ­ bers, Jo sq ih Sharpless. C. G. Barkley, Stephen Knorr. W. B. Koons, F. C. E yer, John Rinkcr. 1872— President, E lias Mendenhall; memliers, Freas Brown. Stephen K norr, C aleb Barton, John S. Sterner, Jam es Dennis, J. H. Maize vice W. B. Koons, resigned. 1873— President. Stephen K n o rr; mem­ bers, Louis Bernhard. Charles Thomas, C. W. Miller, Samuel K norr, J. S. Evans, John S. Sterner. 1874— President, David Ixiw eiiberg; mem­ bers. Joseph Ilcndcrshott, P. S. Harman, J. K.