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/270

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES T he second church w as built in 1877. The pastors have been: Revs. John Sutton. Theo­ bald Miller, Jacob Rodenbaugh, J. J. H arvey, I. G. Noble, Zephaniah EUis, £. £ . O rvis, D. M. K in ter. J. V. Mc.Namara, H. L. Waltman, G. P. M orse, R. H. Saw tclle, Vernon H arring­ ton, J. P. Topping and W. I. Burrell, most o f whom have also had the Benton charge. T he first Keform ed preacher in this section w as Rev. Jacob Dieffenbach, who occasionally preached in private houses near the old Pealer and Bellas graveyard, next to where St. Jam es' church is now located, in 1820-32. From then to 18 2 5 Rev. J. N. Zciger preached in the same place. From then until 1 ^ 0 the congregation worshipped at New Columbus, Montour county. In 1840 they moved to the Creveling crossroads schoolhouse. and in 1852 the St. Tames church w as built near Fishing creek, between Stillwater and Forks, at what is now Z a n e r station. Rev. Isaac Shellhammer w as th eir pastor until 1858, Rev. H. Funk the next. R e v. W. Goodrich the next. R ev. E. B. Wilson the next, Rev. A. Hout* fo r forty years, and R e v. W. S. Gerhard until Rev. A. M. Shaffner succeeded him, in October. 1914. Zion Reform ed congregation w as formed in 1&42 by R ev. D. S. Tobias in the Stucker schoolhouse, near Van Camp, where he con­ tinued to preach until 1857, when Zion church w as dedicated there. O lher pastors o f this church have been the same as those o f St. Jam es.

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SCHOOLS

Christopher Pealer taught the first school in this township at his home near the site o f Zaner station, in connection with his weaving, about the year 1790. 'D ie first schoolhouse w as later built near here, and Jonathan Colley taught there. H enry H ess came to Stillwater in 1794 to oversee some land for his father, and later opened a school there. T he second school in the township was built near Zion church. In 1885 there were nine schools in the township, in operation fo r six months, and attended by 249 pupils. In 19 14 there were also nine schools, but although the term w as seven months in length only 200 were in at­ tendance. T he school directors o f Fishingcreek tovmship a r c : J. C. K a m s, O. J. Hess, A. S. M c­ H enry, George Van L icw, A. F. Arnold. T he school directors o f Stillw ater a r e : W il­ liam J. Smith, A. B. M cH enry, E. B. Beish­ line, Lloyd Bender, 0. D. Hagenbuch. POPULATION

in in in in

The population 1820 w as 50 2: 1850, I, n o; in 1 8 ^, 1,4 4 7 : in 19 10. 1,0 3 1.

o f Fishingcreek -township in 1830. 5 ^; in 1840, 902; i860. i, 2 &; in 1870, 1.37 0; 1890, 1 4 4 7; in 1900, 1, 1 8 1;

C H A P T E R X X IV F R A N K L I N T O W N S H IP T h is toivnship was formed in 1843 from C ataw issa township, and included the town­ sh ip o f M ayberry, in Montour county, at the tim e. When that county was separated from Colum bia in 1 8 ^ Franklin township was taken alon g, but in i% 3 a division w as made which le ft the present area within Columbia county, an d gave to Montour the part now called M ay­ b e rry township. T his section w as settled after the Catawissa valle y w as populated. In 178 3 Jcssc Cleaver, a Q uaker, came here from Chester county to visit friends, and liking the site bought a tract on the hills west o f Roaring creek, near the Susquehanna. H e had intended to buy land on the north side of the river, but the great floods o f that year deterred him. H e brought

his fam ily here the following year. The Clay­ tons, another Q uaker fam ily, also soon came to this section. Frederick Knittle, o f Berks county, settled on the Esther Furnace road, and in 179 5 Daniel Knittle bought the adjoin­ ing tract. John and Peter Mcnsch settled near the river, north o f Roaring creek, Michael H oover on the hill road to Danville, and Chris­ tian H artley (o r A rtley) near the site of the present village o f W illowvalc. INOUSTKIBS

T he only industries past and present in this township are the gristmills on Roaring creek, near the edge o f Cleveland township. One of these mills w as built by Washington P arr

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