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/449

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COLUMBIA AXD MONTOUR COUNTIES

across Chillisquaque creek at the Jackson Billm eyer dam in this township, which w as constructed in 19 14 by Reim ard Brothers. T he bridge is 80 feet long, a fine sample o f modem concrete work, and cost $2,300. It w ill probably last as long as some of the mon­ uments which were erected in the county dur­ ing late years. In form er lim es bridges were

constantly in need o f repairs and ren ew als, the cost o f which came irom the ta x p a y e rs' pockets and went into the ever open palm s o f grec<ly contractors. T he concrete bridges which Montour county has built o ver m an y of the streams throughout the county m ay cost more at first, but they will be extrem ely e co ­ nomical in (he long run.

C H A P T E R XV L I M E S T O N E T O W N S H IP Limestone w as originally part o f D e n y township and w as erected into a separate com­ munity in 18 16. Its broad and fertile fields constitute one of the richest agricultural s<xtions of the county. A noted settler o f Lim e­ stone w as Ile n ry Gibson, who w as a surv'cyor by profes-sion. Josepli Gibson, one o f his great-grandsons, w as the oldest resident in 1886. T he Gibson fam ily were remarkable fo r ihcir longevity; H enry Gibson, a grandson of the original H enry, and the father o f Jo.scph, lived to the ripe old age o f eighty-two years, eight months, passing aw ay m i860. T he Gibstms were not only locally prominent, but their influence and rqiuiation extended to many sections adjacent to the vicinity where they lived. T h e Balliets, another early fam ­ ily o f Limestone, were descended from ancient lineage. T h ey could trace their ancestry back to the Crusaders. T h e first of their ances­ tors to arrive in America reached Allentown, P a., in 1749. and later a branch emigrated to Limestone. I'robablv the next oldest settlers o f Limestone were tiic D avises, who came to Am erica In 1754. T he Gougcrs were also among the early settlers of the vicinity, and (he name o f John W illiam G ouger descends to niodern times as an example o f pioneer citi­ zenship and manhood. Jaco b Shultz w as a pioneer o f Limestone and a soldier o f (he war o f 1 8 12 and (Kissed aw ay in the township where much o f his life w as spent. .Among the other early settlers were the Folliners. one descendant o f which fam ily served the county as as.sociate judgc. I.IM K .S T O N K V IL L K

T lic village o f Lim cstoncville w as founded in 1835. through the erection o f a dwelling and store by Daniel Sm ack. T lie establishment w as a pretentious one for the time and place.

and the ambition of the owner to fou n d a community was given full sw ay. T h e n e x t thing addc<l to the settlement was a blacksm ith shop, and a fte r it w as erected (he enterprising pioneer secured a smith to conduct it. H e built a shop fo r a tailor and another one fo r a shoemaker and placed men in charge, f l i s energy extended further and in a more phil anthropic direction, when the construction o f a Methodist church was begun. Upon its co m ­ pletion Daniel Sm ack organized a con grega­ tion which filled the fram e building, and the fulfillment u f his ambition— that o f building a town— was reached, when a brick school­ house augmented the other utilities of the community. .A hotel w as opened by a G erm an who had come to the village. L ater Balliet & M cCorm ick entered into a commercial rivalry with Daniel Sm ack which terminated when the partners purchased his interests, lock, slock and barrel, as it were, and not on ly Iwcamc proprietors of the Sm ack store, but of the commtmity it.setf. T his mercantile bu si­ ness (hey conducted with success until 1848. when they sold out lo Jaco b Weidenhamcr. From those early days IJm estoneville has grow n to lie a pretentious and th rifiv village o f com fortable residences and such public conveniences, including a post office, as accrue to a place o f its size. C alifornia Grange. No. 942. P. O . H.. has a hall in Limcstoncville. T he storekeepers arc C. L . Johnson and G i.irle s H . Lahr & Co. T he first steam sawm ill in the township was built in 1888 by E llis Cromlcy at l.iniesioneville. It is not now in use. John Schalter built a chop mil! in 1892. and it is now ojicratcd by John N . Herr. Ottawa is a small station on the Pennsyl­ vania road in the extreme northern end of the township. The postmaster and storekeeper there is D. R . Rishel.