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/431

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COLUMlilA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

"T h e Catholics, now so numerous* were scarcely known as sectaries, Michael Rafferty and Francis T rain er being the only two 1 can recollect. T he Rev. Mr. Kay* a Socinian or Unitarian, preached at times* but without mak­ ing proselytes. H ie Rev. M r. Shepherd, a Baptist of the Campbellite portion o f that sect* preached occasionally. l i e w as an eloquent and popular divine. There were a number of Lutherans, to whom Rev. M r. Kesler, from the vicinity o f Bloomsburg, preached at long intervals. T he Episcopalians were not nu­ merous* and it was suggested that they and the Lutherans unite and form a union church; but this was impracticable, and the former erected, own* and occupy the church eiliffce on Market street* on ground included in what at an early day w*as called R u d y's woods. These sectaries w*cre all destitute o f church buildings except the Grove Church. T his was the spacious l<^ diurch built more than forty years before the time o f which I write* in (he form o f a T, and was amply large for the congregation. Resides the sects named I can recall none others o f that date. 'Hie old 1 ^ church had recently been demolished* and v . Birkenbine was building a brick church edifice under a contract w ith Jam es Donaldson* Rob­ ert Curry, Robert C . G rier, llem ian J ^ h le r and John C. Boyd* the trustees, for the con­ sideration o f $1*775. "T h e social relations of the community were eminently pacific and cordial, doubtless pro­ moted by the matrimonial unions bctw'cen members of the several vcr>’ large fam ilies of some of the early emigrants. 'J^ c Montgomer)*s, o f whom there were two brothers— I)anict Montgomciy*, the elder, and his brother. Gen. William Montgomery, whose sons w ere Gen. Daniel. Col. John, and .Alexan­ der. T he son of the senior Daniel Monlgom­ ery was Jud gc William Montgomery. The Woodside fam ily was a large one, consisting o f Thomas, Arcliihald* John, James* Daniel. Wtlliam and R obert: of the Moores— .Asa, John. .Abner, Burrows, Samuel* Charles, A n­ drew Y.* Edw ard S.* and several daughters; of the Mauses—George, Klizabelh, l^hilip, Susan, Samuel, Ix w is, G iarles, Jo sq d i and Jacob W .; of the Sechlcrs, I recollect Rudolph* (ieofgc, John, Jacob* Samuel and Harmon. A t a later date came Mrs. Cornelison and her children: Joseph* W illiam. Jacob* Isaac, C or­ nelius, Jam es, Ann and Mcrc^*; of the Whit— John, Tliomas. William IL, Irwin, Jan e, Elizabeth, roU y, Nancy, Fanny and Ju lia n a; William Wilson, the long time justice of the peace, with a large famtly o f eleven

children and their descendants, now number­ ing about one hundred. There were also the Clarks, Gearharts, Gaskinses, Blues* kishcls* Phillipses* Diehls* Sanderses* Fousts, Frazers* Donaldsons, W illitses and Brewers. "M an y of the pioneer customs still pre­ vailed. M anufactures of the most pressing necessity were found in almost every house­ hold : the spinning wheel fo r tow and fla x; the big wheel* as it was called* for woolen yan i. These were woven in the place* and made into clothing at home* and most of the villagers and their children were clad in these domestic suits. T he tailor and shoemaker itinerated here and in the vicinity and were almost con­ stantly employed. A dwelling witliout a de­ tached bake oven w*ou(d have been deemed incomplete: there were no bakers by profes­ sion, and o f necessity each housew’ife w as her ow*n baker. T he Franklin stove and the sixplate stove w'cre stilt in u se; the ten-plate stoves had recently been introduced and were a great improvcm ait on Ihe former* as much so as the palace cook and heater are u|K>n the latter Chir stoves were then manufactured by Mr. Hauck. and bore the l^ c n d, J o h n H auck* C atcm w a F u rn cce; and it w’as one of the mysteries that troubled the brains of the boys* how it ever got there in iron letters, as much as did the effect of the music o f O r­ pheus, W'hich ‘drew iron tears down Pluto's check.* " B y industry and frugality the people lived in comparative comfort, paid their preacher and schoolmaster promptly* and their printer as soon as convenient, thereby preserving a good conscience and seairin g peace o f mind. " H ie schoolmaster was abroad. Thom as G rier taught a classical school and preparccl boys for college. Stephen H a lff also taught a private school, and Rev. M r. Painter was pnnci|>al of the Danville .Academy, then a new institution. The predecessors of these were M aster Cfibson* who taught in the old log schoolhouse near the first edifice of the Grove G iu rc h; Messrs. Andrew' Forsythe. John Moore. Thomas W. Bell* Don Carlos Barret, an eminent teacher; John R ichards; Samuel Kirkham, the distinguished gramm arian, and Kllis Hughes, a most competent and success­ ful educator* favorably remembered by many o f his pupils still living. "T h e houses were then chiefly on Water, M ill and M arket streets, and. with scarcely an exception, had gardens attached to ihem* with a jiortion o f each allotted to flowers. The Damascene rose. Guelder rose, flowering al­ mond* peony, narcissus, liLic, lily, pink* and