The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-02-18
Original.
History of Columbia County.
NUMBER VII.
CHAPTER II.
THE ORGANIZATION.
NUMBER VII

! The county of Northumberland, from the
| territory of which Columbia county was
taken, originally extended northward to the
borders of New York. In 1856 the county
| of Luzerne was erected out of part of Nor
cumberland, and named in honor of the
Chevalier de la Luzerne, minister from
France to the United States.
In the year 1772 Mr.. James Mcclure set
tied upon the west bank of the north branch
of the Susquehanna river, about one mile
above the mouth Of Fishing creek, in what
is now Columbia county. He obtained a
patent for his farm from the heirs of Will
liam Penn under the name of "McClures
Choice" A large part of West Bloomsbury
is built upon the old Mcclure survey On
| the Sth of Feb, 1776, among the committee
of safety we find named as the members for
Wioming township, Mr.. James Mcclure,
Mr.. Thomas Clayton, Mr.. Peter Melick,
whose families are still here. Col. James
Mcclure, who died upon the old homestead
on October 4, 1850, was the youngest son of
the original proprietor, and was the first
white child born is this section Of Pennsyl-
vania His mother was Miss Espy, and
his eldest sister married Major Moses Van
Campen, famous Indian fighter in this
neighborhood, whose exploits border some
times on the marvellous.
Within the same year of 1772 Evan Owen
located himself on a farm at the mouth of
Fishing creek, and above Mr.. James Nc
Clure came in their order Thomas Clayton,
John Doan, John Webb, George Espy, the
proprietor of Espytown, and the Gingles
family. There was also previously to the
Revolution settlement at the mouth of
Brar creek. The majority of these settlers
belonged to the Society of Friends. Nc
Clure's house was made use of as fort from
the commencement of the war, as was also
the building at Briarcreek. In 1880 Nc
Clures was surrounded by an enlarged stock
adc, occupying the very spot of the present
homestead upon that farm.
Columbia county was taken from North
cumberland and separately organized by act
of Assembly of March 22nd, 1878, with the
following boundaries, to wit: beginning at
the nine mile tree on the bank of the north
east branch of the Susquehanna, and from
thence by the line of Point township to the
line of Chillisquaque township, then by the
line of Chillisquaque and Point townships
to the west branch of the river Susquehan-
ma, thence up the same to the line of Lycom-
ing county, thence by the line of Lycoming
county to the line of Luzerne county, thence
by the same to the line of Schuylkill coun-
ty, thence along the same to the southwest
corner of Catawissa township, thence by the
line of Catawissa and Shamokin townships
to the river Susquehanna, and thence down
said river to the place of beginning"
There can be no doubt that the townships
of Chillsquaque and Turbot were originally
incorporated into Columbia county in order
to secure the location of the county build
ings at Danville for the commissioners ap-
pointed by the Governor to select a site for
the county town were required to fix it "as
near the center as the situation thereof will
admit, and Danville having been named in
the report of the said commissioners, and
the object being thus achieved an act was
passed, and approved the 2lst day of Febru-
ary, A. D. 1915, by which it was provided
"That from and after the first day of May
next, the townships of Turbot and Chills-
quaque, in the county of Columbia, be, and
the same are hereby annexed to and made
part of Northumberland county"
On the same day an act'To run and mark
line dividing the counties of Columbia and
Lu2erne" became law.
The seeming trick by which the county
seat of the new county had been fixed at
Danyille, and the prompt remuneration of
the two townships of Chillisquaque and Tur-
bot to that from which they were taken, pro-
yoked a spirit of indignation and opposition
in the upper part of the county. An agita-
ton for the removal of the seat of justice
from Danville to Bloomsburg, as a more
central location and more in accordance
with the letter and spirit of the act erecting
Columbia county, Immediately commenced,
and continued until success crowned the en-
deavor, by an act approved the oath day of
February, 1915, just thirty years after, au-
thorizing a vote upon the question of remo-
val The detailed result will be found under
that chapter in this volume.
In the meantime, however, so active and
determined was the new movement become
! that il became necessary TO conciliate the