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/295

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES Peter Oman formed the first school in his home and employed a teacher at hts own e x ­ pense, his neighbors’ children as well as his own being instructed. The first three schoolhouses were built on the lands o f Joseph G il­ bert, A aron K ester and Andrew Crouse. T he number o f schools at present is eight, with the same number o f teachers, and there are 166 scholars in attendance. T he school directors o f Mount Pleasant township a r e : A. B. Kester, F. P. Davis. Calvin Kressler, Charles Mordan, D. F. Fester.

CHURCHES

The Methodist churches in this township are located on the old Mount Pleasant road, one in the southern end and the other in the north, near W ellivers. The former is called the “ W hite” church and the latter "K itch en 's" church. Services were held in the schoolhouse and in the home o f Harman K ram er until " K it ­ chen’s” church was built in 1859. "W hite’s " church was built in the year 1875. Some of the first members of the latter church were the W hite, Oman, Shipman, M click and Hilbom families. T he English Lutheran Church at Canby w as POPULATION organized N ov. 18. 1859, in the Millertown schoolhouse. by Rev. E . A . Sharrctls, o f Espy. T he population o f Mount Pleasant tovimship T he church building w as erected in 18 6 1. It in 1820 was 6 3 7; in 1830, 7 1 5; in 1840. 609: is served by the pastor at Buckhom, Rc'. E . A . in 1850, 708; in i860, 7 7 6; in 1870, 7 5 0; in (^ m b c rlin . 1880, 7 ^; in 1890, 786; in 1900. 7 2 2; in 19 10 . SCHOOLS 647. T his is a remarkable constant average A ll of the old schoolhouscs o f this township and evidences the pastoral occupation and con­ were located on the Mount Pleasant roa<. tented character of the inhabitants.

CHAPTER XXXIII O R A N G E T O W N S H IP — O R A N G E V I L L E T his township is the most centrally located of the divisions o f Columbia county north of the Susquehanna river and is watered by F ish ­ ing creek and its branch. Green creek. Knob mountain rises abruptly on the east o I Fishing crcck and continues unbroken for many miles to the east. It is one of the highest of the ele­ vations in the county. Orange was formed in 1840 from portions o f Bloom, Fishingereek and Mount Pleasant townships. Previous to that Bloomsburg was the voting place fo r the Orange election dis­ trict, a most inconvenient arrangement. SETTLEMENT

T he earliest mention o f this locality concerns a tragic occurrence. T he party o f Indians who captured Joseph Salmon in the year o f 1780 in passing through murdered a fam ily who had settled at the foot o f Knob mountain. T he rangers who were following them buried the mangled corpses on the east bank of the creek. In 1885 these remains were plowed up in a low spot fa r from the bank o f Fishing creek, the stream having in the interval shifted its

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channel. Who the fam ily were will never be known, and these brave but unfortunate pio­ neers will pass into history among the unknown heroes o f our country's settlement. Salmon states that the savages camped at the junction o f Green and Fishing crcelu, and ' I the morning two of them left, going towards ie east. Som e hours later they returned with their blankets filled with lead ore, which they proceeded to melt. T h is caused later owners o f land hereabouts to prospect fo r lead, but without success. T he probability w as that the Indians obtained their ore from the hill north o f Lim e Ridge, where galena is now mined in small quantities. In 1785 Abram Kline, his w ife and fam ily o f grown sons came to this section of the county, and for the first year lived in their wagons and tents. T he first log house erected bv their united efforts stood halfw ay between Fishing and Green creeks on the land now owned by George Welch. It w*as in good repair in 1886. but was later tom down. Matthias, Isaac and George Kline built cabins later on the creeks above the one of the father. T h is fam ily is now one of the largest in the county.

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