Chapter VII - Scott Township
History of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania
The last change in the political map of this county north of the river
was made in 1853, when Bloom township was divided, and its eastern
portion given the name which appears at the head of this chapter. The
latter was conferred in honor of George SCOTT, then entering upon his
second term as a member of the legislature from the district embracing
Columbia and Montour counties. This township is the smallest in the
county. It is inclosed between Fishing creek and the Susquehanna, on the
north and south, and between Centre and the town of Bloomsburg on the
east and west. The points of historic interest of which this sketch
treats, are the circumstances of its settlement, the growth of its
villages, the industrial and social character of its people.
The early settlers were principally of English origin, and emigrated
from West Jersey, and from the eastern counties of this state. Among
this number the names of MELICK, BRIGHT, HENRIE, LEIDLE, WEBB, BRITTAIN,
CREVELING and BOONE are still familiar. Peter MELICK, the first of that
name in this neighborhood, emigrated from Jersey before the revolution.
He lived on a farm below Espy, which was purchased in 1774, from the
proprietaries of the province. He enlisted twice in the continental army
and passed the winter of 1776-77 at Valley Forge. When the Indian
troubles of 1778 threatened to extend to his house, he returned to its
defense. In the spring of that year Lieutenant Moses Van CAMPEN was
placed in command of twenty men and directed to build a fort on Fishing
creek, for the protection of the frontier. He selected as its site, a
rising ground on the south side of that stream, about three miles from
its mouth, near the location of the paper mills. The SALMONS, WHEELERS,
AIKMANS and Van CAMPENS lived in the vicinity. The fort was located on
the farm of Mr. WHEELER, and has been generally known by his name. It
was also popularly known as the "Mud Fort" from the appearance of its
walls, which consisted merely of a frame work of logs covered over with
earth. Its erection was timely; even before its completion a threatened
attack compelled the inhabitants to seek protection within its walls.
Peter MELICK was then living in a dwelling on the John SHERMAN farm
below Espy. The cellar excavation of this house is still pointed out
near a pear tree, sixty yards northward from the canal bridge. On the
17th of September, 1778 it was burned by the Indians, the occupants
having previously escaped to Fort Wheeler with such valuables as they
could collect. It is related that the enemy selected a feather tick from
among his personal effects and fastened it upon the back of a pony. The
latter became frightened, broke away from his captors, and reached the
fort with the tick, valued so highly by friend and foe.
During the night of siege that followed, the ammunition of the garrison
was exhausted. Two privates, Henry McHENRY and another whose name has
not been preserved, volunteered to go to Fort Jenkins and secure a
supply. Although the intervening country was infested with savages, they
performed the journey in safety and the fort was saved. Its protection
was deemed insufficient however, and some of the families retired to
Sunbury where they remained until the close of the war.* [Footnote: When
the fort was evacuated its one piece of ordnance, a small brass swivel,
was sunk in a deep hole in Fishing creek. The course of the stream has
changed since then and all efforts to discover the missing cannon have
proved fruitless. Its traditional location is known as "Cannon hole."]
Other families had meanwhile made their appearance in the vicinity.
About the year 1779 Henry with his wife and children descended the
Susquehanna from New York state in a canoe and stopped at Wilkesbarre
until the Indian troubles had cleared away. They then continued the
journey in the same manner as before to the mouth of Fishing creek. A
deserted log cabin with the present limits of Light Street was occupied
as a dwelling. An acre of ground adjoining was planted in potatoes; but
before the first crop had matured they were compelled to dig out for
food the seed thus planted. When this supply was exhausted, wild
potatoes in the swamps were eagerly sought after, roasted on the coals,
and eaten with avidity. A parallel instance occurred in the experience
of the WEBBS, who lived above the town of Espy. Levi AIKMAN had settled
in Briar creek valley the previous year and gathered his first harvest.
The grain was put in a sack, and a son sent to take it to mill at
Sunbury. He made the journey in a canoe, and on the return trip
recruited his strength by eating a crust of bread, the only provision he
had taken from home. He reached the landing nearest his home at
nightfall and carried the sack of meal to WEBB's. Mrs. WEBB would gladly
have given him super, but there was no food in their home. He shared the
contents of his sack with that family, and with several others before he
reached home the next day. The ravages of disease were added to the
hardship of insufficient food supply. Zebreth BRITTAIN and ____ ROBBINS
made a visit to the region about 1782 for the purpose of buying lands.
The former was attacked with small-pox; he died and was buried in the
old Derry graveyard. His family was on the way to join him when they
were apprised of his death. They did not turn back however, but
continued to their destination and settled east of Light Street. John
BRIGHT removed from Mount Bethel, Northampton County, about the same
time, and became a neighbor of the BRITTAINs. Mr. BRIGHT had sent a son
in advance to secure land but he was attacked with the fatal small-pox
and died without the care of friends and kindred. Alem MARR located on a
farm adjoining. And thus, through hardships and inconveniences from
which none were exempt, the first representatives of some of the oldest
families in the county became residents of Scott township.
The fertility of its soil is attested by the fact that every acre of
ground that was ever farmed is still under cultivation. The land that
seemed least adapted to farming has in some instances proven most
valuable. The wealth in these cases was beneath the surface and not upon
it. This is particularly true of the hills bordering Fishing creek where
valuable deposits of iron ore have been found. RODMAN, MORGAN & FISHER,
constituting the Duncannon Iron Company, purchased land from Samuel
MELICK and began the mining industry in this section. The ore was hauled
to Espy and forwarded by canal. The Bloomsburg furnaces have received
ore from these hills since 1844. Matthew McDOWELL operated a furnace at
Light Street for some years on a small scale. The Light Street Iron
Company engaged in a similar business but was not financially
successful. A paper-mill on Fishing creek, some distance below the town,
has had a career of greater permanency. Thomas FRENCH purchased a
grist-mill from John BARTON about 1830 and converted it into an
establishment for the manufacture of paper. It has passed through
different hands and suffered many changes, but still retains its
character as a manufacturing point. The lime ridge should be mentioned
in connection with the mineral resources of the township. The ridge has
furnished employment for a number of people and a small hamlet has been
formed in consequence. It bears the poetic name of Afton, but its
appearance is not likely to inspire the beholder. The cottages are
substantial and comfortable, however, while two churches seem amply
sufficient to minister to the spiritual wants of the population.
Like the iron industry, the fisheries no longer possess the importance
once attached to them. They were known, in order, from the mouth of
Fishing creek to Mifflin rapids, as the BOONE, McCLURE, KINNEY,
HENDERSHOTT, KUDERS, WHITNER, CREVELING, WEBB and MILLER fisheries.
Fishing seems to have begun about 1780 and reached its point of greatest
importance fifty years later. Certain varieties once numerously
represented are now practically extinct. The shad, gar-fish, salmon, and
rock-fish may be mentioned among this number. Lines used were from
two-hundred to four-hundred yards in length and four or five yards in
depth, with meshes two inches square. the season began the latter part
of March and continued until June. A statute law prohibited fishing on
Thursdays in order "to give fish a chance for head-waters." Two hauls
per day was the rule--one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The
flats used were about twenty-five feet long, eight feet wide, and
eighteen inches high, provided with two stout oars near the bow. Two men
were required at each oar, one attended to "paying out" the seine, while
two others remained on shore to adjust the land end. Seven men thus
constituted a fishing crew. Two flats were used to one seine at WEBB's
fishery. It is said that at this place nine thousand fish were once
caught at a single haul. The price of shad in 1800 was six dollars per
hundred; in 1830 it had risen to more than twice as much. People came to
the river from all points to buy fish, bringing in exchange produce of
every description--corn, meat, peach cider, whisky, metheglin, etc. Both
the fisheries and the ore industries have ceased to be important in
comparison with their former influence upon the general business
character of the people.
One result of their existence was the growth of two villages--Light
Street and Espytown, from their respective locations in the iron region
and on the river bank. The former originally consisted of two villages
at each extremity of the present one. In 1821 John HAZLETT, Uzal
HOPKINS, William McCARTEY, James McCARTEY,--Lake and George ZEIGLER were
living on the town plot of "Williamsburg." It was laid out by Philip
SEIDLE, December 12, 1817, and consisted of Front and Second streets,
and Magdalene's alley parallel with the public road, and Catharine
street, South street, Walnut, Strawberry and Cherry alleys crossing
these at right angles. The hamlet about a half-mile distant in the
direction of Bloomsburg was represented at this time by the blacksmith
shop of Robert GARDNER and the farm house of John DEAKER. General
Matthew McDOWELL came into possession of the Jew's mill about the year
1823, and established a post-office under the name of McDOWELL's Mills.
Benjamin SEIDLE was the proprietor of the mills at an earlier period and
popular usage was divided between the names of Seidletown and
Williamsburg. As is usually the case, the post-office designation
superseded both. Mr. McDOWELL found his mill a profitable enterprise and
built another at the lower end of the town, previously mentioned as the
location of a smithy. When he engaged in the iron business, this was
sold to Reverend Marmaduke PEARCE, a Methodist clergyman. He found the
distance of half a mile to post office too long, and took measures to
have it established at his mill. The location was changed and also the
name, which became Light Street and so remains. Mr. PEARCE was once
stationed in Baltimore, Md., and lived on Light street in that city.
This explains the origin of the name. The two villages gradually
approached each other until they have become practically one. The town
contains a number of stores and hotels, two flouring mills, three
churches, a school building and a population of about three hundred. It
was a place of considerable business activity during the prosperous
period of the iron industry and still retains more of this character
than the average country town.
Espytown has not experienced the frequent changes of name which
characterized its neighbor; but the mutations in its fortunes have been
equally unfavorable in their influence. It appears that in 1775 Josiah
ESPY purchased from the Penns a tract of about three hundred acres of
land, including the site of the town that bears his name. He sold this
to George ESPY, his son, in the same year. The George ESPY property is
supposed to have been a two-story log house about twenty-four feet
square, with two rooms below and one above, covered with shingles three
feet long, fastened with wrought iron nails. It was situated on the
Abbot log, about one hundred yards from the house of William CARSON and
twenty yards from the towing path of the canal. It was built by Mr. ESPY
about 1785, and occupied by him until 1810, when he removed to Crawford
county, Pa. In locating the town he seems to have observed a notch in
the river hill and corresponding depression in the ridge in the rear of
his land. It is probable that he thus meant to secure the advantage of a
roadway from Fishing creek to Catawissa which would eventually pass
through those points. Directly on the line of this route he laid off
twenty-five acres into sixty building lots, the length of the plot being
eighty perches and its width fifty perches. It is supposed that this was
done about the year 1800, for in 1802 several lots in "the town of
Liberty" were sold by Mr. ESPY to various persons. The modesty of the
proprietors was overruled by the general practice of the villagers,
which was confirmed in 1828 when a postoffice was established under the
name of ESPY. Among the residents of the place at an early period were
John EDGAR, Alexander THOMPSON, John KENNEDY, Samuel McKAMEY, ____
HINKLE, John HAVERMAN, ____ MILLER and Frederick WOEMAN. There were
fourteen log-houses and twelve frame dwellings in the town in 1826; the
population at that time may therefore be estimated at one hundred and
thirty. The first hotel was built about 1805 by John KENNEDY, rebuilt in
1856 by Henry TREMBLY, and constitutes the present Espy hotel. The first
frame house was owned by John SHUMAN, and was built of lumber sawed at
the Elias BARTON saw-mill in Hemlock township. The first brick house was
built in 1845 by John HUGHES. In 1826 the people were supplied with
water from three wells, located respectively at the WOEMAN hotel and the
houses of John WEBB and Philip MILLER. The latter was at the center of
Main street at its intersection with market. At this time the bog in the
rear of the town was scarcely passable. The "Indian path" consisted of
two rows of yellow pine logs and lead in the direction of Light Street.
The swamp extended from the brook above Espy to the canal culvert, a
mile from Bloomsburg. A corduroy road was laid by John HAUCH in 1815 to
haul iron ore to his furnace at Mainville. Among the attractions of Espy
from 1810 to 1835 was WEBB's lane, a famous racing ground. Jockeys
resorted thither from Sunbury, Towanda, Wilkesbarre, and other places,
to try the speed of their nags. The following anecdote of Reverend John
P. HUDSON is related in a historical discourse by the Reverend David J.
WALLER: "On a visit to his home in Virginia his father gave him a
blooded horse, the speed of which, in carrying him from place to place
in his wide circuit, gave the clergyman an inconvenient reputation for
horsemanship. On one occasion, riding along the river road, he passed
over the old race course at WEBB's lane, when a shower of rain obliged a
farmer to loose his horses from the plow. One horse, coming out of the
field, took the tract at his best speed. Meeting the clergyman, under
his umbrella, the Virginia courser promptly accepted the challenge,
wheeled, and took his master a "John Gilpin ride,' with umbrella
stripped backward in the wind, and distancing the pretentious plow
horse. A wag, who saw the unique performance, related to a listening
company the story of having seen the preacher run his blooded horse
against a famous courser of the neighborhood and win the race. A man of
high pre From an industrial point of view, the town has been equally
well known on account of its boat yards. About the year 1834 George and
Thomas WEBB built a Union canal boat on their land at the lower bank of
the canal. It was launched about three miles above Espy and christened
"The Fourth of July." It was about seventy feet long and eight feet
broad. The industry thus begun has been continued with fluctuating
energy until the present time. The boatyards of BARTON & EDGAR, KRESSLER
& VANSICKLE, FOWLER, TROUSOE & MCKAMEY, have at one time or another been
locally important. The works of the Pennsylvania Canal Company were
established in 1873 and have gradually absorbed similar enterprises.
Manufacturing interests have also been represented by a annery,
distillery, pottery, flouring mills, and brick-yards. The first merchant
was William MANN, a storekeeper from 1816 to 1818; C. G. RICKETTS,
Samuel WOEMAN, WOEMAN & SERABY, Cyrus BARTON, Miles BANCROFT, and
PATRICKEN, cover the period from 1820 to 1850 in their financial
operations. About sixty individuals and firms have been engaged in
business at various times.
The citizens of Espy have displayed a degree of interest in improving
the appearance of its streets. The Lombardy poplar was the first
ornamental shade tree; it was superseded in 1836 by the weeping willow.
A single shoot was brought from a tree in front of the Forks hotel at
Bloomsburg, and planted in a similar position before WOEMAN's tavern.
The planting of trees was pushed vigorously about 1868 by Mr. McCOLLUM
and others. Efforts have been made for some time to secure legal action
for the erection of Espy into a borough. Should this be accomplished,
the administration of its affairs by judicious hands would certainly be
a benefit to the citizens in various ways.
The first school in Scott township was established in 1805 with Messrs.
WEBB, KENNEDY, and WATERS, trustees. The course of study included the
alphabet, spelling, writing, reading and arithmetic. Between 1830 and
1840 grammar and geography were added. Algebra and history became part
of the course sometime in the next decade. The first school-house stood
on lot No. 56, in Espy, the north-eastern corner of Market and Main
streets. It was the only one for the town and vicinity within a radius
of three miles. The ceiling of its one room was eight feet high, and
unplastered, while the other dimensions were twenty and twenty-four
feet. The three windows on each side were filled with eight-by-ten
glass. Benches were made of slabs; three-writing tables extended around
three sides of the room; a "John Heacock" wood stove occupied the
center; a tin cup and wooden water-bucket completed the furniture of
this temple of learning. The educational interests of the township are
well sustained, if the general appearance of school buildings and
grounds may be regarded as evidence in this respect.
The religious denominations represented are the Methodist, Episcopal,
Lutheran, Presbyterian and Evangelical. The oldest congregation of the
society first mentioned is at Light Street. A camp-meeting at Huntingdon
in the autumn of 1819, was attended by Jacob FREAS, John BRITTAIN and
others who lived in the vicinity of the village. They were converted and
formed into a class by Reverend John RHOADS, who was then stationed at
Berwick. Meetings were held at Mr. BRITTAIN's house for eight years
before the society had become strong enough to build a place of worship.
General Daniel MONTGOMERY, of Danville, gave the church one-hundred
perches of ground in 1827, at which time Paul FREAS, John BRITTAIN, John
MILLARD, Samuel MELICK and Peter MELICK were trustees. The church
building was erected the same year. In 1851 the church was incorporated,
thus rendering a new deed necessary in order to give the corporate body
the title to its property. Two years later, "in consideration of the
love and veneration in which they hold the memory of Daniel MONTGOMERY,
and Christiana, his wife, and their desire that their pious and
charitable acts should be confirmed," the heirs at law of William
MONTGOMERY executed a new deed. The old log structure was removed some
years ago and replaced by a structure better adapted to the needs of a
strong and increasing congregation.
The Reverend Isaac JOHN preached in Espy as late as 1828. Lorenzo DOW
visited the place in 1833, and preached to a large congregation in the
school-house. The barking of dogs in an adjoining yard exasperated the
reverend gentleman. He announced with some indignation that he had come
to preach to people and not to dogs. A gentleman from Light Street
offered to take him to Mainville in a carriage. He declined in favor of
Mr. MURRAY's truck-wagon. The first place for worship was built in 1838,
and the present structure upon its site in 1883. It was dedicated by
Bishop Thomas BOWMAN. On the death of Reverend H. C. CHESTER, the pastor
at that time, Reverend R. H. WHARTON, succeeded him. Reverend J. BEYER
was Mr. WHARTON's successor. Reverend Richard MALLALIEU has been in
charge since August 20, 1886.
Reverend William WEAVER, a Lutheran minister at Bloomsburg from 1851 to
1853, preached occasionally at Espy during that period. A number of
members of the Bloomsburg church were formed into a separate
organization. Among those who were prominently identified with the
movement were David WHITMAN, John SHUMAN, Samuel KRESSLER, J. D.
WERKHEISER, Cyrus BARTON and Conrad BITTENBENDER. The last two named
were constituted a building committee, and in the summer of 1853 a
church building was dedicated. Reverends Philip WILLARD, William WEAVER
and the pastor were present at the ceremonies. Reverend E. A. SHARRETS
became pastor in 1853, and remained in charge until 1860. Reverend J. R.
DIMM was his immediate successor, but resigned in 1863. Reverend D. S.
TRUCKENMILLER was pastor from 1863 to 1867, J. M. RICE from 1867 to
1878, and E. A. SHARRETS from that time until October 1, 1886, since
when the pastorate has been vacant.
The Presbyterian church at Light Street is not a regularly organized
body. Its membership was originally connected with the Briarcreek
church, but the distance from their homes to the place of worship
prevented many from attending. The Light Street church was built in
1853, but services have not been held with any degree of regularity in
recent years.
The Evangelical societies at Espy, Afton and Light Street are included
in Bloomsburg mission, but were established while this territory was
embraced in Columbia circuit. During the ministry of Reverend A. J.
IRVINE, he held occasional services in the Presbyterian church at Light
Street, and in the winter of 1866-67 conducted a protracted meeting,
which resulted in sixty conversions. Among the members of the first
class were James PULLEN, Thomas BEAR and James MERADIS. Measures were at
once taken to build a church, and this was highly necessary as well as
feasible in view of the membership that had been formed upon the first
revival effort. August 4, 1869, the corner-stone was laid in May, 1872,
and the consecration of the church occurred in the following September.
In the winter of 1875-76 Reverend J. A. IRVINE was invited to preach in
Espy. February 1, 1876, he began a protracted effort, in which one
hundred persons were converted. Two classes were formed under the
leadership of William SCHECHTERLEY and William HEIDLEY, with John
McKAMEY and Clark PRICE as exhorters. Reverend H. W. BUCK is the present
pastor of Bloomsburg Mission, which embraces these appointments.
Source: Page(s) 184-190. History of Columbia and Montour Counties. Battle, J.H., Chicago: A. Warner, 1887.