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/241

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COLUM BIA A N D MONTOUR COUNTIES

indefinite y e ars a wilderness o f forest and glen. It is separated from Locust township on the north by Little mountain, and on the south lies Locust mountain, whose southern slope e x ­ tends into Schuylkill county. T h ree sm aller ridges lie between these tw o elevations, caus­ ing the country to be cut up into alternate hills and valleys, all liaving an cast and west trend. In the summits of these elevations lie the great anthracite coal fields, the only ones in Cmumbia county. D uring the y e ars when the settlers came from Berks county to the C ataw issa valley a constant stream o f vehicles and horsemen poured over the mountains and through Con­ yngham, by w ay of the old R eading road, but never a one paused to give m ore than a cursory view of the landscape, heaving a sigh o f relief when the last declivity had been passed and the broad vallcv northward w as revealed to sight. Little did they reck of the enorm ous treasures concealed within these hills and aw aiting but the scratching of the su rface to l>gcomc avail­ able to mankind. U w as more than sixty years a fte r the Q uakers passed through this town­ ship that the mineral treasures were developed in a practical way. U ntil the ye ar 18 30 the township w as a haunt fo r the deer, fo x and other wild crea­ tures. It w as not an entirely unknown region, fo r the “ Red T a v e rn ," on the crest o f l.ocust mountain. ercctc<l by Jo h n Rhodenbcrgcr in 1804, w as a fam ous and jiopular place o f rest fo r travelers on the R eading road. Settlers w ere shy o f stopping longer than a night or two in this section, how ever, until the discov­ e ry o f coal made the land valuable. Then there w as an influx o f settlers o f much different nationalities from those of the rest of the county. Perhaps no portion of the county can show so varicme portions o f this township have been found to bear at least three separate titles from the Commonwealth. A ll of the titles have been settled cither by agreement or by legal proceedings. T h e first to develop this A ction w as the fam ous Stephen G irard, founder of the great college at P h ila­ delphia, In 18 30 he bought an extensive tract on C ataw issa and M ahanoy creeks from the trustees of the Bank o f Philadelphia, in the

hope o f uncovering deposits o f iron ore. He began the construction o f roads and bridges and opened a few d rifts, but failed to find any iron. F o r twenty-five years the property re­ mained undeveloped and then the L ^ u st M ountain Coal & Iron Com pany opened the M ine R u n colliery. T h ey had organized in 1842. T h e same ye ar the Locust Run and G>al R id g e collieries were opened. T h e Hazel Dell colliery w as completed in i860 and the Cen­ tralia colliery in 1S62. T h e Continental col­ liery w as oj>encd in the follow ing year. Notwithstanding State law s prohibitii^ ownership o f coal m ines by railroad companies it is said the Lehigh V alley R ailroad Company has gradually acquired control and ownership o f all Ihe mines in Columbia county and operates them under different corporate names. T h is road ow ns the transportation lines into Centralia and A ristcs. CENTRALIA

On one of the few level spots in the town­ ship the " B u i r s H ead " tavern w as built in 1841 by Jonathan Fau st. alx)ut a mile from the "R e d T a v e rn " and on the Reading road T h is w as the first house un the site o f Cen­ tralia. T h e tavern later cam e into the hand.s o f Reuben W asscr. In 19 14 it w as partially rcmovcrl to m ake w av fo r a store. In 1855 A lexan d er V. R ea. the first engineer of the Locust M ountain colliery, built a cottage above the lav cm and brought hither his fam ily from Danville. H e made su rveys in his spare time fo r streets and lots, and in the sam e year built a number o f homes fo r the workers in the mines. T h is w as the beginning of the town. In i860 Jonathan H oagland opened the first store opposite the tavern .and tw o vears later became the first iw stm asler. T h e village had l>cen called “ C en terville" fo r some time previous, but the name w as changerl to Cen­ tralia ow ing to conflict with another town of the form er name in the State. T h re e years later the Lehigh & M ahanoy railroad w as built through the town. T h e advent of the railroad brought many persons to the town and several collieries were soon opened. T h is caused an application to be made fo r incori)oration. and at the February session o f court in 1866 the borough o f Cen­ tralia w as form ally established. Jam e s B Knittle w as elected president of the town coun­ cil : L . S . Boner, town c le r k; Jam es D yk e, chief burgess. T hese officials soon had their hands fu ll in attem pting to quell the spirit o f law­ lessness that had dcvcloiwd among the numer­