Items of Yore
The fort or block-house, nearest to Danville was at Washingtonville. It was erected at quite an early day on ground now partly owned by Joseph Hartman. . The fort stood a little up the creek from the spot where Snyder’s mill now stands. Very recently, musket balls and other war-like relics have been found on or near the site of the old fort.
Reverend Isaac Grier, father of Judge Grier and of M. C. Grier, late of Danville, deceased, was an eminent scholar, who graduated at Dickinson College in 1788 and entered the ministry in 1791. He taught as principal of the academy in Northumberland for some years, and died in that place on the 23d of August, 1814, in the fifty-first year of his age. He was not only a scholar, but a Christian in the full sense of the word.
The first Bible society of Pennsylvania was organized at Milton, in 18×6. Reverend J. B. Patterson, long the beloved pastor of the Presbyterian church in Danville, was the first president of the society. The old “Franklin Court ” was located in the rear of the Mansion House, built by John Moore. It was a noted place of resort in the olden time. There are some still living who can remember the gay and jolly times they had in old Franklin Court in the days of auld lang syne. It has now disappeared, all but its crumbling foundation, and many of its old habitues like its ancient walls have gone into the shadows of the past.
There was a celebration of the 4th of July in Danville, in 1807, at which Daniel Montgomery was president, James Laird vice president, and Andrew Russell secretary. On this occasion James Boyd offered a very curious toast. Political parties at that time were those who called themselves “Democratic Republicans,” the Federalists, and there was also an offshoot of the regular Democrats who opposed Simon Snyder and favored Spayd or some other Democrat for Governor. These were called “Quids.” The toast referred to was as follows: “The Quids-a jackass a piece to them and a snail’s horn for a spur, so that each mule may ride his own ass.”
SOURCE: Page(s) 62-63; Danville, Montour County Pennsylvania; D.H.B. Brower, Harrisburg; 1881
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