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/446

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES popular hotelkeepers in the county, and her house saw many a party o f diners from Dan­ ville and Bloomsburg. T he other hotels of the town are kept by W illiam Snyder and A. L. Heddens. T he woodworking shop o f Jam es Stecker, fo r many years a well known landmark on Ihe road at the outskirts o f Washingtonville, w as totally destroyed in October. 1909W Stecker had accumulated many fine and rare specimens o f wood and had hundreds o f fine tools, all o f which were lost. H e never re­ built the shop. The town hall here was built in 1908. F o r a number o f years the authorities used a lai^e meat refrigerator for a lockup. 'Fhis is said to be the origin of the word “ cooler” as re­ ferring to a ja i l T he old covered wooden bridge across the creek w as removed in 1908 to make w ay fo r a steel one. The societies o f Washingtonville a re : W ash­ ington Camp, No. 365, P. O. S. o f A .; l>crry lu>dge. No. 759. I. O. O. F .; Washingtonville Tent. No. 13, K. O. T. M .. and the Knights of the Golden Eagle, the latter organized in 1891 with twenty-seven members. STRAW BKRRV

R in C f.

I li is village is a station on the Susquehanna, Hkomsburg & Berwick railroad, a branch of the Pennsylvania road running from W atson­ town to Berwick, and quite a settlement has grown up. T he place has a Grange Hall, R e ­ formed Church ( Rev. .A. F . Dreisbach, pastor), blacksmith shop, the store and post office kept by Mrs. Emma Mowrer, a store kept by A. II. Snyder, a flourishing creamery, a grain elevator and a hotel T rinity Reformed CTiurch is located next to the hall on a hill. It is o f brick, with a wooden steeple, and was built in 1868. The cemetery attached is cut in h alf hy the public road. T he building occupies the site of the Union Church built in i8 t8 by the Reform ed and Lutheran congregations. T he church was repaired and rededicated in ICJ07. during the pastorate o f Rev. WilUam Kohler, at a cost o f Sr.aoo. The c o n g r ^ tion is now served by Rev. A. F. Drcishacb, who also serves the I^ tc h H ill or Heller congrrtt^tion in Columbia county. iirix s iR v rR ’s

t a r k

T his place is a short distance east o f W ash­ ing! on vi He. on Mad creek. It consists o f a

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preserve fo r game o f over twenty-five acres. Here .Alexander Billmeyer has an inclosure within which are over two thousand squirrels, twenty elk, seventy-five deer and many wild turkeys. H e allows no one to hunt on the place, but the entire tract is free to the pub­ lic as a park. Many visitors come from d if­ ferent sections to sec the herd o f elk and other animals, which arc shown by attesidants. In addition to the preserv'C Mr. Bilhneyer has one of the latgest farm s in the county, in a high state o f cultivation. F o r twenty-seven years A. E. Seidel of Derr)’ township has been training hunting dogs, and in that time has trained an average o f thirty dogs a season. These animals come from all over the Union and thcir value runs into the thousands o f dollars. RELIGIOUS

That famous pioneer preacher. Rev. J. B. Patterson, an exponent of the Presbyterian creed, was stationed at Washingtonville and had charge of the D erry Church and the Washingtonville Church, the latter being the first combined schoolhouse and church in this immediate section of the S ta te; the build­ ing w as a tog .structure, built in 1802. o f most pnm itive design and equipment. T his good man died in the community in which he labored and the mcmor>* o f his sterling char­ acter. purity o f thought and unselfishness of action has been h a n d ^ down in the annals of the community, and is now cherished and re­ vered by (he descendants o f his jiarishioners. T he present Presbyterian Church, a brick structure, was built just after the C ivil war, and its erection was the natural evolution of a growing congregation founded on faith and probity. T he first organization was made in 1849, and the present brick church w*as built in 1865. Revs. L . F . Brow n, Owen Rcber and Cliarles Ilifn c r were some o f its pas­ tors. A t present the pulpit is vacant. organized in 18 12 in Derry townsliip, with thirty members, built Zion CTiurch in partner­ ship. at a cost o f $360. in 1818. T he building w as located at Straw berry Ridge. In 1850 the two denominations separated, the Luthcraii.s building a church at Wa.shingtom*iUe in 18 5 1, at a cost o f $t,6oo. A t present this church has 450 members, and is served by pastors from th e d u m h a l Turbotville, North­ umberland county. It adheres to the old branch of the church—the General C ouncil In i<;oK the church w as almost rebuilt, being
 * I1ie [.utlieran and Reformed congregations,