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/425

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

incori^ralcd in (B99 and under its charter electric light was furnished the people of Dan­ ville. T his company w as composed o f capi­ talists from W iikcs-Barrc and other places^ and took over all the former operations along this line. I^ te r T he Columbia and Montour Electric Company purchased the interests o f all other companies and now supplies light in Danville, as well as in Bloomsbuqt^ Berwick and other neighboring towns. The borough o f Danville, however, in the year 1906, erected a municipal plant for street lighting, and with this plant* as well as 'I1ie Columbia and Montour Electric Company’s plant* turning on the light in (he town, there should be very few deeds o f evil. M em orial P ork A great civic improvement was made in Danville in 1907 and 1908 in the laying out and completion o f Memorial Park. The site o f this [xark w as (he ohl Presbyterian ceme* (er)'. w'hicli at that lime was in a most dilapi­ dated condition. Here w as a spot o f tender memory, the resting place of the dead for one hundrctl years and nxirc. The friends o f those interred there had either themselves been numbered with the departed or had re­ moved from Danville, and consequently many graves were neglected and many stones had becon>e defaced or had disappeared entirely. Wliat w as to lie done with this silent city of the dead? N o better answer could have been made than was made, to erect it into a Me­ morial Park. S o a number o f public-spirited citizens agitated the removal of the cemetery and subscriptions were taken up to defray the expense. Many bodies were removed, but a targe number of the gravestones still re­ maining were laid fiat and covereartiany under the niiU dclphia & Reading railway tracks. The work o f removal and grading was (lone under the direction of the trustees of the Grove Presbyterian Church, I'hom as J. R og­ ers. 1. X. (irier, .I. (iric r S'oungman, Jam es F. M agill, J. 1?. Gearhart, T. W. llartholomew and Alexander Foster. II1C Mahoning Presbyterian Church, in whose name w as the title to this ground, transferreil all right and title to the Grove Pres­ byterian Om rch. U vcr four hundred graves were found that still contained the remains o f

those who had been early residents of the community. A t the time the park w as first discussed, the veterans o f Danville urged (he erecting o f a monumciu to their departed comrades. Subscri]>tions came in rapidly. The county com ­ missioners appropriated $5,000, and in the spring o f 1908 the present granite obelisk w as completed. T his monument was dedicated at the san>e time that the park w*as thrown open to the public. M ay 30, 1908. It is an obelisk 73 feet in height, surrounded on four sides by figures, o f an infantr)*man, an artilleryman, a cavalryman, and the Goddess o f Peace, resjiectively. Pour granite balls, three feet in diameter, are placed at the com ers of the base. T w o castiron cannon, relics of the C ivil w ar, stand on guard near the monument. T h e park is provided with scats, has many beautiful flowers, and is kept in neat condition by the Ix)rough, into whose charge it w as given M ay 18, 1 ^ . T he flagstaff and flag used on holiday occa­ sions were donated by Frank E . De lx>ng. T he flag is <5 by 25 feet, and the steel pole ts 70 feet high. R iv e r fr o n t P ark T his park w as established beside the w ater­ works in 19 12 and in the following ye ar a fountain was placed in the center of the plot, the cost o f which w as raised by public sub­ scription. Concrete walks have l>ccn laid througl) this park, flowers planted, and scats placed therein; aud already it has liecomc a ]iopular resort, especially in the warm summer evenings. T his park, together with the long concrete walk built by F. Q. Hartman along the river bank, will be part o f a park system whereby the whole front of the river bank at Danville will t>ccomc a public promenade in­ stead o f an unsightly dumping ground. M arket Square P ark Another park has been estnblishcd on M ar­ ket Square, extending from F erry street to Christ Memorial Church. The grounds have liccn licautified and an electrically lighted fountain, the g ift o f William G. Shoop, was installed in 19 13. nOROUCH O FFIC IALS

Danville was erected into a borough by act o f General Assembly, Feb. 7, 1849. The first burgess w as Dr. William II. Slagill. H ie first