Indiantown
In the lower portion ‘of Danville borough there is a lovely tract of level ground near the mouth of the Mahoning. This beautiful and picturesque locality with all its charms of scenery and with all its inspiring associations is still known by the unpoetic name of the “Creek’s Mouth.” Other localities with far less pretention to romance or historical importance rejoice in names that in some measure give expression to their beauty or recall the scenes that mark their history. But no, our people are a plain folk, and are but little impressed with the spirit of romance. So we must accept the situation and continue to call it the “Creek’s Mouth.” There was an Indian village on this spot, and I give the savages some degree of credit for their taste in selecting this site for their village home. It was inhabited by a ‘tribe of the Delawares, with a few of other names. The Delawares professed neutrality during the French war and continued their friendly relations, but like all others of their race they smarted under the impression that they were wronged out of their lands by the pale faces, and this made them sullen and treacherous. So we find the Delawares doing their terrible and bloody work at the massacre of Wyoming and in many of the murderous forays that mark with fiendish cruelty the annals of frontier life.
The village at the mouth of the Mahoning was the home of the maiden, “nameless here forever more,” that now sleeps in the dark ravine. Ah, yes, however rude the life, however wild and savage the surroundings, love will enter the heart, and nature will assert her claims in all conditions of human society. Here, too, within the limits of our town, for a season, tarried the renowned Tamenund, an old and venerated prophet of the Delawares, whose counsel was wisdom and whose judgment was law. He was more than one hundred years old at the time of the French war, and died among the remnant of his’people in the State of New York. In this region we have one uncertain memorial of the great chief, and that is the name of a railroad station, (Tamanend,) on the Catawissa railroad. But Tammany hall, in the city of New York, which is named for the wise, old counselor, Tamanund, will long perpetuate his name if it does not always exemplify his wisdom.
SOURCE: Page(s) 51-52; Danville, Montour County Pennsylvania; D.H.B. Brower, Harrisburg; 1881
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