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/291

 252

COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

A t present there are ten schools in this town­ ship, with 264 scholars in attendance. The In the year 1794 a school was opened by school directors a r c : Samuel K cllcr, R. H. David Jon es in a hut among the scrub oak M owcry, H arvey Slusscr, J. H. Kisenhaucr, and pine trees below Mifflinville, on the land Aaron W olf. o f Christian W olf. The alphalict w as taught POPULATION by means o f letters inscribed by the teacher on a shingle. Utcre being then no books on The population o f Mifflin township in 1820 school subjects available. Soon a fte r a school was M 9 2; in 1830. 1 ,7 9 1; in 1840, 2 ,14 3; building w as erected where the Lutheran 1850. 1.0 2 4; in i860, 1 ,0 2 1 : in 1870, 1,0 4 3; >n church now stands. The present schoolhouse 1880. J.0 38; in 1890, 1,0 2 2; in 1900, 1,0 4 3; »n 19 10 . 1,14 2 . is located on the adjoining lot. SCHOOI.S

C H A F F E R XXXI M O N T O U R T O W N S H IP Bearing the same name as the county beside it, Montour township lies in the sharpest bend of the Susquclunna in its nieandcrings through Columbia county. I'h c river here has ample reason to bend. In ancient geological years the stream had a straight course through what is now called "Lhiteli valley" and pursued this w ay to the vicinity o f Danville. B u t an obsta­ cle w as encountered at the site o f Rupert in the shape o f Fishing creek, which semiannually poured a flood o f water and debris into the river at right angles to its course. A ges passed and the mound o f gravel slowly choked the river, which in desperation tum cu to the south­ ward and aided by some upheaval of the strata that cleft a breach in the lofty hill carved a new* course, which poured the waters o f both streams past Catawissa and diverted the entire flow of the river into a great loop. T his "plu g" o f grave] and sand is plainly seen along (he west bank of the creek and form s a high ridge, in which for more than fifty years the su r­ rounding towns have found an inexhaustible supply o f building materials. riie bluff below Rupert is an attractive ex­ ample o f stratified rocks and there a complete story of the geology o the county can be read in God's ow*n book. T his is one of the scenic spots o f Ihe county and is the resort o f tourists from all parts of the State. SE TTLE M E N T

The first comers to this township were from Berks and Northampton counties and their nationality gave the name to Dutch valley. The Ruperts came first, bringing their wagons and all the household goods by w ay of the Reading

road and Catawissa, ferrying across the river to the spot w'here R upert stands. Leonard Rupert did not long remain in the first rude cabin o f logs he had erected on his arrival, but reached out into the future and built him a home o f three rooms in 1788, occupying it for thirty y e a rs; it still stands beside the more pre­ tentious "P a x to n " home. Rupert had the land from his father-in-law, Michael Bright, who had it from John Spohn, he in turn having ob­ tained his patent from the proprietaries in 1 7 ^. Among those wlio followed Rupert were the Tucker. F rey, Dietterich, Ulccker, H iltlc and Lciby families, most o f whom went on into Dutch valley, since Rupert's land included ^1 the available soil in Ihe angle of the creek, river and mountain. T his section of the county was at first amply supplied with the news of the outside world. ])cmg on the main line between Sunbury and W ilkes-Barre. T ravelers took the ferry over Fishing creek and passed west up Dutch valley to the regions o f Danville and Sunbuiy, thus leaving Catawissa to the south. The route to Reading through the latter town also drew travelers across the river fe rry to Rupert. T h u s the town caught the travelers "going and coming.” T his stream o f traffic w as foreseen by Rupert, who opened a tavern here at an early date, and his rooms have held some of the famous men of the different periods since the opening o f this region. T lic first fe rry here was established by W illiam Hughes, w ho was succeeded by a M r. Clark. Both objected to the toll charged by Rupert fo r running the fe rry on his lands, so Rupert .started one o f his own. and. o f course, soon absorbed the others.

c

by V