Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1843-12-02
From Ircgo's Geogrcphy Of Pennsylvania.
Northumberland County.

Northumberland county has very Irregular
shape, and is bounded on the north by Lyco-
ming; northeast and cast by Columbia south
east by Schuykill south by Dauphn, and
west by the Susquehanna river and West branch
which separate it from Union. Population 20,-
or.
| The southern part is mountainous, the mid
die billy, and the northern, along the West
! branch of Susquchanna more level. In the
south are the Line, Mahonoy and Little noun
tans, in the middle the Shamokn hills, and be-
tween the two branches of Susquehanna is
Monteur's ridge, partly in this county and pnrt
! ly in Columbia. The Muncy hills form the
northern boundary.
Northumberland county is watered by nu-
mcrous streams. The North and West branch
cs of Susquehdnno unite at the town of Nor
! thumbcrland, and the river thence forms the
western boundary. Ctaljsqnaque creek emp
/ ties into the West branch ) miles above Nor
| cumberland !ShanaoLin creek rises among
! the mountains and flows westward to the Sus-
quchanna below Sunbury. The Makonoy
bold rapid stream, rises in Schuylkill county
and has nearly west course to the Susque-
hanna, near which it receives the waters of
Little Mahonoy and Schwabcn creek. Aohon-
tongo creek forms part ofthe southern bounda-
ry of the county, and Roaring creek of the
eastern.
SunJurs is the county town, beautifully situ-
ted on level plain on the east side of the
i nj, bc Of in,
creek. 1t contains court house, prison, seve-
raj churches, and about $50 dwellings, Popu-
laton ll07. A considerable business is al
ready done here in the shipment of COAL &c,
and the completion of the rail road to Pottsvillc
would tend 10 increase the prosperity Of the
| town.
Northumberland is built upon the point of
land between the North and West branches of
the Susquch1nna al their junction. Ii contains
town house, a market house, bank an aca-
DENY, and several churches the number of
its inhabitants is 92S 1t is not place Of ex-
tcnsivc business, though tavorably situated at
the junction of the North and West branch di-
visions Of the State canal A beautiful bridge
across the West branch connects this town with
Union county: there is another across the
North branch over which passes the road lead
ing to Sunbury.
Milton is fcurishing borough on the West
branch, II miles above Northumberland, with a
population of | ,5OS. Being situated on the ca.
nal, in the midst of a fertile and productive
neighborhood, ard also the seat o: some con.
siderable manufacturing and mechanical es.
adjustments, it is place of some consequence
on account of its business operations. 1t is
connected with the Union county sllc OF the
river by bridge.
The principal villages are McEwensvillc in
the north, Georgetown in the south, Shamokir
at the coal mines on Shamokin creek, aud Sny
dcr,own east OF Sunbury.
The most important productions are those o
agriculture and of the coal mines. Various
, branches of manufacturing industry are sue
cessiully pursued. A large blast furnace ha;
, been recently erected at Shamokin tor the pur
pose of smelling iron with anthracite coal
which is so constructed that the coal is run
from the mine on plane to the head OF the fur
mace, but a few yards distant
The public improvements are the North ant
, Wcsl branch canals which unite at Northum
berland; and the western portion the Potts
/ vile and Danvle rail road, which is compet
. ed from Sunbury TO the coal mines at the tow
/ of Shamokin, u miles. There is a dam acros
the Susquenanna below Sunbury, called III,
h Shamokin dam, 27S3 feet in length, constructct
: by the State Tor the purpose OF supplying wa
O ter to the Susquchanna division ofthe canal
d turnpike road from philadel phia, through Rea
| ding and pottsvile extends by Sunbury To Nor
>. thumbcrland.
d By the assessed valuation Of property for tn
: county tax of l~l2 the total amount was 81
IL 353 1870: county tax S0,5is State lax 50
n oil.
9 In some portions of this county popular cdu
q cation is much neglected, and the schools ar
d so conducted as to be of little service in pre-
A. noting the improvement of youth in the el'
~ mcnts of useful knowledge. There are in a
10 ID school Districts of which s have adopted tn
is common school system as regulated by law. {
a these have made report, stating that 8
Sc schools are established, and are kept open du
n ing an average period of upwards of 3 monti
c. in the year. There are academies at Mto
he Northumberland and Sunbury; at the latt'
n place is also nourishing female seminary.
l The religious societesare various the pr