Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-07-18


WIN. A. SOBER, Esq, of Sunbury.
.F-.1. COUNTY COMMISSIONER,
JOSEPH NJ NBSBIT, of Chillisquaqae.
sUNBURY, ITS FOUNDERS AND PRO
PRIETORS.
Sunbury, though not an ancient town,
dates its origin few years previous to the
Revolution, which wrested the Province of
Pennsylvania from the hands of the pro-
pretors, the descendants of VIM. Penn, and
was surveyed and located by John Lukens,
Surveyor General, and his assistant, WIN. Nc
Clay, in pursuance of an order of Council,
by direction of the Governor of the Province,
dated juno l6, 1772, for copy of which,
taken from the records Of the State Depart
ment, we are indebted to J. b. Packer, Esq,
of this place, as well as for draft or sur.
vey of the manor of Pomfret by virtue of a
warrant dated October Goth, 1868, nearly
one hundred years since, and surveyed De-
cember i6, 176s, for the use of "tho Honour
able the Propriotaries." This manor of Pom.
fret, 10 which Sunbury is located, is an Eng
lish institution, and according to the survey
contains four thousand seven hundred and
sixty-six acres of land, &c. The northern
line, running eastward, commences at the
river, about two-thirds of the way above
the lower point of Shamokin Island, and
runs southwark to nearly opposite the point
of the Island, thence about ten degrees
north of east thence southwark, and from
thence westward to the river at the head
of the two small Islands below the Shamo-
kin Falls. In this survey, the poin. of
Shamokin Island extends down, nearly op.
poste the southern shore of the West
Branch, showing that much of the Island
has been washed away by floods subsequent
to that time.
The following is the order referred to-,
by which it appears Sunbury was laid out
as the county town for Northumberland
County, which county then embraced with.
in its boundaries, nearly one-ffth of the
State
'At meeting at the Governors on Tues.
day the sixteenth day of June, l772.
Present.
The Governor.
The Secretary Mr.. Tilghman.
The Receiver General Mr. Physck.
The Surveyor General Mr.. Lukens.
Ordered that the Surveyor General with
all convenient speed repair to Fort Augusta
on the Susquehanna, and with the assistance
of William McClay, lay out town for the
County of Northumberland, to be called by
the name of Sunbury, at the most commo-
dious place between the fork and the Sha.
mokin creek, into three hundred lots to be
accommodated with Streets, Lanes and AL
leys, and c commodious Square in the most
convenient place for public buildings. The
two main streets to be eighty feet wide, the
Others sixty, and the lanes and alleys twen-
ty feet. The lots to be sixty feet wide in
front and two hundred and thirty feet deep
if the ground and situation will convenient
ly allow that depth. And it is further or.
dered, that space of at least one hundred
and twenty feet be left between the town
line and the bank of the river Every other
lot adjoining the Spare and fifty commodi-
Gus lots besides to be reserved for the Pro-
prietaries. After laying out the town, the
Surveyor General, while he is there, and
Mr.. McClay, after the Surveyor leaves the
place, may receive applications, ana make
entries to be returned and recorded in the
Secretarys Office, from any person or per
sons inclinable to settle and build in the
town, particularly tradesmen and such as
are of ability to improve. No person to be
allowed to take up more than one lot with.
out the Governors special license. And
upon making tue application, the party ap.
plying shall receive a ticket in the form
following:
"The - day of III A. B. ap.
plies for and is allowed to take up lot No
in the town of Sunbury, for which he is to
take out patent within six months from
the time of application, otherwise the aplica.
tiOn to be void, and the lot free for any
other applier" A clause to be contain.
ed in the patent, that if the said A. B., his
heirs or assigns, dc. not, within three years
from the time of application, build and
erect on the said lot a dwelling house OF
twenty feet square at-least, with brick or
stone chimney, the patent to be void. The
lot to be forfeited to the proprietaries and
they at full and Sbsoluto liberty without
ro-entry to grant, and dispose of it to any
other person or persons whatsoever. The
annual ground rent, for the said lot to be
seven shilling sterling. .
n. B.-The rent of the unreseryed lots
adjoining the square to be ten shllings ster-
ling. A true copy.
~ JAS. TILGHMAN, Sec'y. of the Land Office.
In testimony that the above is copy of the
original on file in the Surveyor Generals
Office, have hereto set my hand and the
seal of the said Office, at Harrisburg, the
Gath day of June, 1854.
- For J. PoRTRR BRAwLEY, S. G.
SEAL Tho j. REHRER"
~
At that time, Broadway, at Market
or shamokin street, was 20S feet wide At
ohesnut street 100 feet, and at Walnut street
l'o feet. Market Square is 200 feet wide
and 74O feet long.
MI Mcolay, above referred to, was one of
the hrSt residents of sunbury, and occupied
log house where Mr.. John @ Frv now
resides.
call sn ap sr,sa DEARy has been strongly urged to
purpose OF making new registry laws Tho rho
Sseincr .;Sss Is opposed to the measure, con.
siussing lhat 1t would have the appearanoe
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