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/285

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COLUM BIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

18 10 Leonard K isn er opened another in a T he school directors fo r 19 14 arc; Jesse dw elling oil his land, which w as taught by llunsctm an, J. G. Rishel, S. R. Howell, Cynis Thom as lu n e. A third w as opened in 18 1 5 Hartline, Jac o b W elliver. near where the Reform ed church now stands, in the southern part of the township. A fourth, POPU1.A T1 0 N in the eastern part, near the Baptist church, completes the )i.st o f early schools. T h e population o f thus township in 1820 was A t present there are ten schools and the t.3 3 0 : in 1830. 1 .5 5 4 : in 1840, 1.7 0 0; in 1850. same num ber o f teachers fo r them in this 7 1 4; in i860. 1 ,1 4 6 : in 1870. 1.09 0; in 18^. township, and they arc attended by 17 3 schol­ 1.0 7 7 : in 1890, 1,0 7 2 : in 1900, 1.0 2 5; in ars. 909 -

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XXIX

M A IN T O W N S H IP Previous to 1799 M ain township w as in­ cluded in the territory o f C ataw issa township. F o r nearly fifty y e ars th ereafter part w as in­ cluded in Mifflin township and the balance still remained in C ataw issa. In Jan u ary, 1844, the township w as form ed with its present lioundarics, that on the north being the Susquclianna and the southern limit being defined by the tow ering height o f C ataw issa m oun­ tain. A lon g the river runs a bold hill which hems in the Pennsylvania railroad, givin g it scarce room fo r one tra c k; to the east rises the crest o f N escopeck m ountain; to the southwest lies the C ataw issa range, and between the two C ataw issa crcck forces a passage with mnch violence and many turns o f its course. Prob­ ably one h alf of the territory o f this division o f Columbia county is given up to nature, owing lo the abruptness of the hills and valleys. It w as w hile this region w as known as A ugusta township and w as included in B erks county that the first permanent settlers ap­ peared within its lim its. In 1709 Sapiuel John em igrated from W ales and settled in U w ch­ land. Chester Co.. P a. H is son Sam uel re­ m oved from there to E x e te r. B e rk s county, and from that place in 17 7 2 his son. Isaac John, with hi# w ife M argarctta cam e to the valley o f C ataw issa. having previously purchased three hundred acres o f land here. D urin g the summer o f 17 7 8 they were tw ice compelled to leave their farm fo r fe ar o f Indian, depreda­ tions, and they endured m any other hard­ ships incidental to pioneer life. T h ey occupied a log cabin a story and a h a lf high, the door being in the roof and reached by ladders w ith­ in am! without. It is a well attested fact that

a fam ily o f ten children w as brought up in this humble and scarcely com fortable habitation. A m ong those who follow ed Isaac John and settled farth er up the creek w ere Peter and Jo h n K lingam an, both o f whom located at the site o f M ainville. Jaco b G earhart settled c<i the hill above, Jac o b Bow er on a tract nearer the river, and a few others from the lower counties came ftcforc 1808, the Reading road through the gap m ade by C ataw issa creek being their route o f travel. INDUSTltlES

T he principal industry o f this township m Ihe past w as the m anufacture o f iron and its products. In 18 1 5 the first cliarcoal iron fur­ nace in Columbia county w as built south of the site of the present village o f Mainville by Jo h n H auck. T he adsan tagcs of the location w ere the proxim ity to the R ead in g road, the abundance o f fuel, and the supply o f ore tn the hogs o f I.ocust mountain, near where the town o f Centralia now stands. L ater on some of the ore w as obtained from around light Street. T h e pig iron w as at first sent to Read­ ing to be m anufactured, but in a short time H auck began to cast stoves am i plows, many o f which arc still in existence, one stove in particular serving at this late date to warm the old Q u aker meetinghouse at Catawissa. Tn 1826 H arlev & E v an s built a forge on the crcck below the furnace, w here the Kestcr milt is now. which w as operated by them until 1854. when Rudolph Shuman became owner. From 18 6 3 to 1883 it w as operated by C. EPcnnock & Co.. o f Coalsville. T h e last 00c to o]>cratc it w as Charles Reichart. O ne ye ar before he huilt the furnace John H auck had taken advantage o f (he ahundani

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