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/141

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

Jam es M a^ e* I. L. Rabb, W. Koshncr* C W. Runyon* C. A. Pursel, H. C. Rulon. 19 10 — Presideni* Joseph L. T ow n sen d; members, L L, Rabb* C. A. Pursel* C* W. Runyon* Thom as Gunier* H. C. Pollock* H. C. Rulon. i p i i — President* Jam es M agee; members, G. H. Wclliver* C. A. Pursel* R. R. Hartman* O scar [.owcnberg* J. W. Bruner* Isaaah Ohl. 19 12 — Under amendments to the State con­ stitution last year’s council held over. 10 13 — President, O scar l^ w cn b e rg; mem­ bers, fc jr l F. Wirt* C A. Pursel, A. C Hidlay, J. H. Coleman* H. C. Rulon. Dr. G. H. w ellivcr. George Nathan Wagner* chief o f police of Bloomsburg, elected in 1912* is a native of Conyngham, Luzcm c county. Previous to his assuming his present office he served one en­ listment in Battery E* 4th Coast Artillery* and two enlistments in Troop D of the State Con­ stabulary. M U N IC IP A L lU rgO V E M eN TS

The election of the first town couhcil was the beginning o f municipal improvements. Most of the repairs to the streets and town bridges had previously been made by the town­ ship supervisors, or by benevolent and enter­ prising citizens who paid for them out of their own pockets. In 1874 Sfarket street was finally opened clear through by the removal of the house o f M artha Wells* below Third street. In the following year the brick "F o rk s Hotel” was removed and Second street extended to the Normal grounds. Center street was also opened and extended from Second to First. 5 %nmucl Nc>*hard drew the plans in 2^72 for the grading o f E ast street. H e afterw ards drew the plans for the rcgrading o f almost cverv street in the town. |M r. Ncyhard died Oct.* 27. I 9 M -1 Contemporary with the street improvements the problem o f water supply was solved by the organization of the Bloomsburg W ater Com­ pany in 1874 for the purpose of procuring a supply o f water from Stony brook, and a prop­ osition made to the town council. However* an act of the Legislature w as passed prohibit­ ing an increase of the bonded indebtedness of the town* and the company dissolved. In 1877 a second company w as organized, the directors being D . J . vallcr* L . N. M oyer, M. S. Apple­ man, E . H. Little, R. C. N eal. C. G. Barkley, J. A. Funston, George E. Elw cll and H. J. Clark.

A s no springs o f sufficient height above the level of the town could be found, a reservoir was dug on the hill immediately north o f town* the water taken from Fishing creek to a brick well and from there pumped to the reservoir* whence it w as distributed over the town by means o f iron pipes. The waterworks have been greatly improved and enlai^ed since )886* notably by the build­ ing o f a second reservoir, enlarging the power­ house and adding new ntachinery, and in March* 1913* a filtering plant w as completed at a cost o f $50*000. Paoi E . W irt is president of the company* Fran k P. Zarr* secretary* and the directors are Paul E . W irt, A . Z . Schoch* B . F, Sharpless* L. N . Moyer* W . H. Hidlay* A . B . Grotz* L . E . Waller, E llis Eves* Dr. J . J . Brown. In M ay, 1874. the Bloomsburg Gas Com ­ pany was formed* and in October o f that year the streets were first illuminated by tliis method. Col. S. K norr w as the first presi­ dent* and C . W. M iller the first secretary, of the company. T he nrst public sewers were introduced in 1884 and since then a complete system o f drainage has been installed. T he first paving done in Bloomsburg w as on Main street* from M arket ^ u a r e to Iro n street* in 1906* J. R. Fow ler being the con­ tractor. In 19 (4 the paving was extended from Iron street to East street, and also from M arket Square to West street, under the supervision of the council. A n interesting and novel plant is that of the Bloomsburg Ileating Company, which pro­ vides heat for many of the public buildings* business houses and residences o f Hloomsburg. T his comparatively modern method o f heat­ ing was introduced in the town as early as if§ 5 by the incorporation of the Bloomsburg Steam & Klectric Light Company. In con­ nection with their electric light plant they in­ tended to use the waste steam fo r heating p u r­ poses, but the heating department w as d evel­ oped first. Pipes arc laid to the homes and stores, and steam at a good pressure is su p­ plied even in the coldest weather. In 1 9 ^ the plant w as purchased by J, T . T racy and A . W. Sharpless, who soon made it an im ­ portant business investment. Since (he death o f M r. T racy the sole ownership has been vested in M r. Sharpless. Having a num ber o f coal dredges in operation in the summer, he is assured o f an abundant and cheaply obtained supply of fuel, taken from the bed of the Susquehanna river.