Celebrate Our History
A River Runs through us ...
Did you know that you can place a small wooden boat in a tributary of the Susquehanna River in New York state and it will wind its way to the Chesapeake Bay and beyond...into the Atlantic Ocean? Called the ‘MIGHTY SUSQUEHANNA’, our river is the 16th largest in the United States, with a 27,500 square mile watershed covering parts of Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland. Nature's splendid thoroughfare, the beautiful Susquehanna River, was pivotal to the formation, design and success of the "river towns" that surfaced from its edges. Both majestic and beautiful, the Susquehanna River offers recreational opportunities, a chance to meditate on nature and perhaps to escape the everyday bustle just a bit.
Columbia County
Governor Simon Snyder signed a bill passed by the PA legislature that created Columbia County on March 22, 1813. It was the 47th county established of the 67 counties in the commonwealth. Most of Columbia's area came from Northumberland County; however, there were two small areas added from Luzerne and Schuylkill Counties. Initially, it consisted of 810 square miles. Its western boundary was the West Branch of the Susquehanna River below the Montgomery area to a mile south of Montandon.
A state commission selected Danville as the county seat since it was centrally located. After numerous changes to the county's western border between 1815 and 1818, the border now laid closer to Danville, and was no longer centrally located. After years of political agitation for removing the county seat to Bloomsburg, the voters in a referendum approved the relocation in 1845.
Danville supporters that were disappointed over losing the referendum, succeeded in getting a new law approved in 1850 to partition the western townships of Columbia County to create Montour County and Danville as the county seat. Three years later a law revised the two counties boundary lines and returned land to Columbia County, making it 490 square miles. Today, it ranks 47th in size out of 67 counties.
Columbia County's early economic development rested in part on lumbering, agriculture, anthracite mining in the Centralia area, iron industry, building of the North Branch Canal, and a number of railroads that served the area. By the mid-1880s as the iron industry was fading, new manufacturing firms appeared in Bloomsburg such as the Bloomsburg Silk Mill, Bloomsburg Woolen Mills, Magee Carpet Company and others so that by 1900, there were nearly twenty plants located in the town. In Berwick the Jackson and Woodin Manufacturing Company established in 1872 eventually evolved into American Car and Foundry Company in 1899. Eight years later in 1907 this company employed 5,500 making it the largest railroad car manufacturer in the east.
Columbia County is the home of Bloomsburg University which traces its origin back to establishment of the Bloomsburg Literary Institute in 1856. The school is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. With nearly eight thousand students, it is one of the major employers in the county.
For more information on Columbia County:
Columbia County Historical and Genealogical Society
225 Market Street, P.O. Box 360
Bloomsburg, PA 17815-0360
570-784-1600
102 East Second Street
Berwick, PA 18603
570-759-8020
Montour County
Montour County is the smallest of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania. It was established in 1850, and "carved" out of Columbia County, after opposition arose in 1846 over relocating the county seat from Danville to Bloomsburg.
Danville was founded in 1792 by William Montgomery, a revolutionary war soldier who was given title to land along the Susquehanna River as a reward for his service. The town of Danville is named after General Montgomery's son, Daniel, as this community was once known as "Dan's Town."
Natural resources have played a significant role in Danville's history. The Susquehanna River, one of the ten most beautiful rivers in our country, was the main artery of transportation in the early years of the settlement. Spring "freshets" brought thousands of rafts, arks, and small boats to the river each day for about a month. It wasn't unusual for a rafter to build a raft and load it with goods that he would float to a port where the river enters the Chesapeake Bay. Then he would sell his product and the wood from the raft. Then, he would walk home. Some rafters were known to have made two or more trips during each season.
Iron is the source of Danville's role in our nation's history. The hills around Danville were an unlimited source of iron ore. There were local quarries to supply limestone and the anthracite coal mines were accessible to the managers of the iron furnaces. On October 8, 1845, the Montour Iron Company rolled the first T-rail that had been fired with anthracite coal. Anthracite coal gave it incredible strength and for the next 50 years Danville, Pennsylvania, was a national leader in the production of iron.
With prosperity comes the opportunity to enjoy life and Montour County has always been a sports-minded community, a fishing community, and a hunting community. These endeavors were as popular one hundred years ago as they are today.
Montour County's emphasis on manufacturing carries forward today. Manufacturing continues to provide a substantial employment base in the county, and industries such as Merck Pharmaceuticals and others continue to thrive in the Danville area. The service industry is also strong in the county, with Geisinger Medical Center and related services providing a major portion of the employment base.In 2008, the George F. Geisinger Memorial Hospital, which was founded in 1915, has become the Geisinger Health System. The twenty-first century medical facility on the hill exists because of the iron industry and the businesses that developed because of it. Mr. Geisinger had come to Danville with Thomas Beaver, who with Isaac Waterman, owned Montour Iron Company. As a widow, Mrs. Geisinger was the beneficiary of Mr. Geisinger's investment in a company called Kingston Coal.
Historic District
Danville's downtown business district is a feature attraction in the heart of Danville's historic district. Much of the commercial and neighboring residential areas retain their original 19th-century architecture which, coupled with the continuing restoration and rehabilitation of these structures, have made the downtown a premiere attraction in the region.
Read the articles below that have been written on Montour County:
For more information on Montour County:
Montour County Historical Society
1 Bloom Street
Danville, PA 17821
570-271-0830
Montour County Genealogical Society
205 Ferry Street
Danville, PA 17821
Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau
121 Papermill Road, Bloomsburg, PA 17815 · 316 Mill Street, Danville, PA 17821
570-784-8279 · 800-847-4810 · iTour@cmvb.com |
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