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/440

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

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Independence and wore his chevrons proudly, assumed the dignity o f an individual postas they were won through his b ravciy at the office, which was presided over by a man named Biddle. Succeeding this official, whose front. given name has become lost in (he cycle of lime, w as John F . Derr, who remained in W itlT R H A IX charge until 1855, when VS'illiam M cBride be­ T h is place acquired its name from the White came pastmastcr. Seven years later John H all Hotel, built in t8 i8 ^ John F . Derr, C raw ford was appointed to the position, and and rebuilt in 1849-50 by Ferdinand Ritter, in turn was followed by his son, G. W. C raw ­ who had great ambitions to make it a popular ford. who later w as replaced by J . S . M c­ resort fo r travelers along the main road Bride. T he present postmaster is J . B. Dethrough the town. H e engaged Samuel Brug- Wald. H e and George H ill and Lew is Smith Icr o f J c r s c ^ w n, a brother o f John H . B ru g­ arc the |>rescnt storekeepers. ler, the architect o f Danville, to embellish it. T he first blacksmith shop at White H all was and the result o f his work is seen still in the cstablushcd by Daniel Dildine. an Irishman, beautiful carvings, which he employed fo r dec­ who was one o f (he early settlers of the place. oration all over the front of the building and The first place o f shelter was opened by A n­ on the massive doorway. These carvings are drew Schooley. T his hostelry which gave works o f more than ordinary artistry, and "entertainment fo r man or beast" was known could well be placed in some museum for pres­ as the Red Horse Hotel, and occupied the site ervation. T he building is now occupied by the where the brick store now stands. T he old owner. John McW illiams, as a residence. De­ hotel w,as tom down to make room fo r the cay has damaged the old inn and lack o f paint store building. Following Andrew Schooley has caused the carvings to disintegrate badly. as (he manager of the establishment was David John Fruit, the first settler at W hite Hall, F ly. and he was succeeded by Ferdinand R it­ w as a native o f Ireland. lx>cating in the ter. who came from B eik s county, and township some lime during the closing years eventually rebuilt the White H all Hotel. of the eighteenth century, he shortly after I his a rriv a f .started a store, using some of the R X C t lA N 'C E space o f his home for the purpose o f dis* p u yin g merchandise. T his pioneer later T his intere.siing rural village received its erected a small fram e structure which he de­ name in 1840. .At that time the settlement voted exclusively to the sale o f merchandise, consisted of the Crownover mill and a few of the variety usually found in the small houses. A n ancient log schoolhousc located country store of the time. In 18 10 John Fruit across the creek added a certain dignity to sold his establishment to John Frederick Derr, the pretensions of the community. John Cald­ who conductcsl it for thirty-one years. In well erected the first brick structure, which 18 4 1 William M cBride acquired an interest in later passed to the ownership o f Patrick (he business, and upon the death o f Mr. Derr, Dennin. The first postmaster of the hamlet which took place in 1853, Mr. M cBride and was Gersham Biddle. The present one is his son. J . b. M cBride, continued the estab­ B o ^ E . Stead, who is a merchant also. lishment until 1864. when a new building was 1l i e first hotel at Exchange w as opened completed and the stock tramsfcrrcd thereto. some time in >839 or 1840 by W alter Jo h n ­ Upon the decease o f his father, J . S. McBride ston, who subsequently gave it up and moved assumed the business and conducted it for to Jerscytow n. H is son, William C. Johnston, n u n y years. w as later elected register and recorder o f .Another firm which transacted a mercan­ Montour county. W illiam Craig was one of tile business during the early years o f White (he original settlers at Exchange and his de­ H all, which was then known by the name o f scendants, John and .Alexander Craig, were "F ru itsto w n ," w as E ly & M oyer. A store prominent factors in the development o f (he which was maintained lo r six years w as estab­ community. .Another early settler was Jam es lished in 1841 by Neal McCoy. lartters a r­ rived at and departed from "Fru itstow n” by M cK ec. In the records and traditions o f E x ­ means o f a pony mail, which reached that change is mentioned one John Bull, who main­ point a fte r traveling a circuitous route from t a in ^ a hotel at "the top of the hill.” His Catawissa. T h e first mail carrier who handled descendants long have passed from the ken the mail and the pony was a boy by (he name o f human recollection. H is place was still o f Jaco b Dyer. In 1820 (he tiny settlement stan<ling as the nineteenth century drew to a