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/406

 360

COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

M r. Comelison kept this hotel until his death in 1852, when his son, Jacob, succeeded him and w as the proprietor until his death in 1865. It was afterw ards kept by William Smith and others until 1870, when Adam Gerringcr pur­ chased it. In 1872 M r. Gerringcr moved the W hite Sw an building to the rear and erected the present brick hotel, calling it the City H otel T his hotel was next conducted by John K. Gerringcr, a son, who in 1895 sold it to Robert M oyer. Other proprietors o f this hotel have been Swope. Mengel, Theodore Moyer and O liver Drumhcller, o f Sunbury, who pur­ chased it and changed the name to Hotel O liver, and fo r a number o f years conducted a first-class hotel. It w as carried on fo r a short time by Irvin A. Snyder, who w as succeeded by Frank G. Peters. l i e w as proprietor fo r several years and was in turn succeeded by Grant Fenster­ machcr, the present proprietor. B aldy H ouse T h is house was built in 1870 by Peter Baldy, S r., on M ill street, between Market and M a­ honing. It was at first a brick dwelling house, but w as afterw ards converted into a hotel and opened by William C. Williants in A pril, 18 9 1, with Lew is C Thornton as clerk. T he man­ agement has continued the same to the present time, and the hotel is comfortable and con­ venient and as well kept as any in the town. Union Hotel T he Union Hotel w as built by William Buckley on M ill street near Mulberry. It was afterw ards purchased by l,cw is T iiel, who conducted it fo r many years and who died while proprietor of the hotel. It is at present conducted by John Toocy. P H IL A N T H R O n c JNSTITUTIOK.S

S late Hospital f o r the Insane T he tract upon which the State Hospital fo r the Insane at Etanville is built was orig­ inally the property o f Gen. Daniel Montgom­ ery, who by his will devise<l it to his son, Daniel S. Daniel S. Montgomery devised the same to M argaret S .. his daughter, who married W. W. Pinneo. The properly was convey«l by deed from W. W. Pinneo. execu­ tor o f M argaret S. Pinneo. to the State. It is situated about one mile northeast of the

borough o f Danville, in Mahoning township. On A pril 13, 1868. the L ^ s la t u r e p a s s ^ an act fo r the establishment o f this institu­ tion and appointed a locating commission composed o f D r. J. A. Reed, superintendent o f (he DixmoiU Hospital fo r the Insan e; D r. T raill Green, o f Easton; and D r. John Curwen, superintendent of the State Hospital for the Insane at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. A fte r visiting twenty-one counties in the district for which the hospital was intended, and viewing a number o f proposed locations, it was decided to purchase this tract o f 250 acres from the Pinneo estate. T he price paid w as $26,600, the citizens o f Danville contriW ting $16,000 o f Ihat amount. In M ay, 1868, Dr. S . S . Schultz, o f H arrisbutg. was ap­ pointed superintendent and gave his best e f ­ forts to the erection o f this building and a fte r­ wards to its opening and operation. D r. Schultz superintended the construction of the main building, the cornerstone o f which w as laid .Aug. 29, 1869, by Governor Geary, the address being made by Or. Isaac R ay. o f Fltiladelphia. It w as opened fo r the reception o f patients in October, 1872, and the first patient w as admitted Nov. 6th o f that ^ear. T h ere were four wards on each side, with accommo­ dations fo r 120 patients each. T he work o f construction proceeded steadily thereafter, wings being built on either side, and the whole structure being completed as originally planned, Aug. 7, 1879. T h e estimated capac­ ity then w.as 350 o f each sex. The center building is 202 feet deq>, the building proper 1 . 143 feet in length, the height ranging from three to five stories. T he wings contain about 350 rooms each. On M arch 5. i8 8 (, a fire broke out in the first section, adjoining the center building, originating on the second fioor in a dust fiue, in a room used fo r storing fire hose and the standpipe connected with the general w ater supplies, and open from cellar to roof. T h e section was unused at (he time, the patients having been moved to the new wHng, and painters w'crc making repairs. Before ade­ quate connections could be made with hose and neighboring standpipes, the cornice and roof and timbers became involved and the fire fo r a time was inaccessible. T he fire extended both ways, destroying all the female quarters and the administration building, as well a s one q iu rter of the male wards, leaving two sections only. There were 220 male patients at that time in the hospital and the inmates were removed without casualty, though in the confusion nine of the men e ^ p c d the care