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/451

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

Here also stood ihe "W hite” Methodist church, which was torn down in 18 9 1. A description o f this church is found in the church chapter o f Danville. The Odd Kcllows, Catholic, and German R e ­ formed cemeteries are within the limits o f Mahoning township. Many of the iron mines of the owners of the Uig D an vilk furnaces, which produced abun­ dantly fo r a long period, were wiihin the limits o f this township.

SCHOOLS

T he most interesting of the schooU o f this township is the Mahoning schoolhouse. built before the formation of the county of Nfontour* on land donated by Jacob 5 kchter. The old fram e building is now replaced by a brick building o f targe size. The school directors o f this township a r e : William T. Dyer. Hurley Baylor. Lloyd B a y ­ lor. I.anda$ G ass. A lfred Diehl.

CH A PTER XVII M A Y B E R R Y T O W N S H IP T his division o f Montour county was formed in 1833. and is almost completely sq>arated from the rest of the county by the Susquehanna river. It projects southward like a tongue between Columbia and Northumber­ land counties* and could well have been given 10 either one in the days o f separation and dis­ sension. 'Die territory o f which this township is forriK'd w as originally a part o f Franklin town­ ship. in Columbia county, and w as swapped back and forth between the two counties dur­ ing the division until it finally landed in the hands o f Montour officials. I'h c township received its name from one o f its chief citizens. M ayberry Gearhart, a de­ scendant o f WiUiam trcarhart. one of the carlist settlers of the district. The contour of the land is broken and hilly. N arrow kvcU. which follow the course of the Susquehanna, mark some of the territor)*. while mountainous ele­ vations rise in the north end and extend south through almost the length of the township limits. Sharp Ridge rises near the eastern boundary and extends in a southerly and southwesterly direction to the center; the ascent o f this ridge is gradual and the top is com j^ratively level. Along the ridge is the main road leading from Danville, running across the north end of the township, along the river to Roaring creek, and then turning south passes out of the township at the south­ west corner. T he first settler o f this section was John Cleaver, a Quaker who came from Chester county in 1783 and settled near the mouth of Roaring crcck. at the site of the present grist­ mill. ^ h e r s who settled at this spot were W illiam Gearhart and Daniel Brobst. Brobst

w as the first blacksmith and G e a v er built the predecessor of the present mill. John Mensch w as an active factor in the German colony. Among others to settle, become prominent and then d rift to other places was Charles Boone, who came from Berks county, and settled and improved the place that later )>asscd to the ownership o f William Gearhart. .After liv if^ there several years he moved back to Rerk5 county. A nhyskian. Dr. William Boone, built a home hall a mile up the creek; after living there for some years he migrated to Ohio* and there was killed. Another settler. J . N'ought* built a house a m ik further up the creek. Peter Osman moved in and built in the section that is now the north part of the township. T he exact date o f Vought's arrival is not known, but it is supposed to have t>een some time during the last part of the eight­ eenth ccniuf)*. M ayberry township contains no villages or towns wiihin its limits. The roads arc very ]K>or and hilly and the inhabitants live in scmiisolated points, which cannot be dignified even with the name o f settlements. T he only post office established in this section was that at the mouth o f Roaring creek, called Howellvilte after the first postmaster, W. B. Howell, in 1895. railroad station of the Pennsyl­ vania here is called a fte r the creek. T he scenery at the mouth o f Roaring creek and for some distance above is o f great beauty. Here the creek makes a turn like the letter S and falls from one ledge to another in a series o f beautiful cascades. The ledges are hrokcn off short in places. T h e county bridge across (ho creek is an old wooden covered structure, built upon a foundation of the rock kd g e, which is pierced just beneath