The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-02-25
Original.
History of Columbia County.
NUMBER VIII.

BL0OMsBURG.

1t will be easily perceived by the reader
that the following number was written some
time ago; and have permitted it to stand
as then existing facts warranted, because /
| desired to show the condition of things few
years ago by comparison with the present. |
In l776 Wyoming township extended from
the mouth of Fishing creek to the State line
on the north, and Mr.. James Mcclure, who
in l772 had settled on the flats above the
mouth of the creek, was one of the commit
tee of safety for the township. Gradually
| the name Wyoming was more definitely fix
ed for the upper end of the Susquehanna
valley, as the State line was pushed north
ward and the Connecticut claimants either
relinquished, or sold, or were confirmed in
| their rights. The great beauties of the Wy
oming valley were not the exclusive proper
| ty OF what is now distinctively so called, but
were distributed along the river and to-day
| there is no landscape any where superior to
several views of the valley from Fishing
creek to Berwick which can be obtained in
| the vicinity of Bloomsburg.
Indeed, standing upon the root of the
Bloomsbury State Normal School building,
you have command of region of country
which for beauty, fertility and natural seem
cry is unsurpassed by the famous one from
Prospect Rock.
Standing there, your eye, for twelve miles
| along the winding Susquehanna, rests upon
the valleys between you and Berwick on one
side of the river, and upon the other is re-
lieved by the majestic Catawissa mountains.
OF to the north, Mob Mountain looms up in
its picturesqueness, and the valley of the
Fishing creek seems shut up among the
mountains, while Immediately at your feet
spread out the fifteen hundred acres of land
upon which the town of Bloomsbury is be-
ing built, bounded on the north and west by
the Fishing creek and south by the ever
beautiful Susquehanna, making in the spark
ling sunlight, band of silver encircling the
green valley upon which the eye is resting
with unmeasured delight. Through the
midst of the valley with shrek and whoop
rush the trains of cars over the Lackawanna
" Bloomsbury Railroad, crossing the creek
near its mouth, and sweeping down the
bank Of the winding river, awakening the
echoes of the rock of the Lovers Leap"
And while you are gazing at the recedng
train on the one road from beyond the Cat
awissa hills, with steady roar comes another
nlOnp tbn t'otaNvigsn ilrao1 Al
nificent bridge spanning the Susquehanna,
and crossing the Lackawanna & Bloomsbury
at right angles, escapes from your sight at a
long distance down the valley on the oppo-
site side of the mountain.
Bloomsburg can challenge without fear
the visit of the tourist and the work of the
painter.
The vicinity was settled at an early day
by several families and Major Moses Van
Campen says that in 177S he, with compa-
NY of about 20 men, built fort on Fishing
creek about three miles from its mouth. He
also says that sin the spring of 1881, we
built a fort on the Widow McClure's planta-
ton, called McClure's fort where our proyi.
SlOuS we're stored,
The town of Bloomsburg was laid out in
1902 by Ludwig Eyer. The descendants of
the proprietor are still living amongst US.
lie rests in the Lutheran burying ground,
which he gave to the congregation. He was
a generous hearted and liberal minded man,
of a stock of which Pennsylvania is proud.
Bloom township was one of the original
twelve with which the county was organized.
1t extended to Brar creek, but one town
ship after another has been cut from it until
now 1t contains only about acres of
land, and by a recent act of Assembly the
whole township is organized under the name
of the Town of Bloomsburg. No town in
the State has a more healthy location. 1t is
built ON high bluff on the Fishing creek,