The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1876-07-12

It was strange remark-that OF
Walpolo-when he said, "tcll-me not
History, for ] know that it is false.
Did such uncertainty truly exist, it
would be dreary nonsense, upon this
Centennial day, TO read Of the past,
but might dwell in the present, or
speculate on tho future. In writing
history there is no Just cause for un-
certainty; for the earnest seeker after
truth should not attempt 10 maintain
suntcnablc ground; for il the histori-
an holds out false Lights his history
then dcteriorates into romance and
very mischievous romance it is at
that, because it is clothed in the gar
ments of truth, yet lacking the susie
nance, is then no more entitled to
credit than the story of "Sinbad the
Sailor" "Alladins Lamp" or the
"Knight of the Burning Mountain"
Therefore, in attempting to write up
calendar history for this occasion, we
will endeavor to open up no "Pan-
dora's Box" from out which shall Fly
evils and deceptions from which errors
may swarm, but aim at concise style
backed by unvarnished truth,
July 4, 1876, marks tho Tooth year
in our political calendar rs q free and
independent nation. Yet at that time
our County was in the Indian Terrific
ry--unclaimed from the savage -and
was not invaded by the white man,
save a travelling missionary, or an
| :n4wn,<tJ troIor l,ut ,,,oo tho knn4;,,c. y.
ground Of the Red man, who claimed
Il as his birthright.
Eighteen years after the Declara-
ton Of Independence was signed, that
is to say, in April, 1894, came tho
Surveyors, with their chains and the
old Rittenhouse Compasses, to survey
tho lands taken up by the Old Hol-
lanl Land Co., and which were after
wards patented, and titles perfected,
TO largo portion, by the Hollanders.
This Holland Land Co., find by
examining the old surveys, consisted
of Wilhelm Willink, Nicholas Van
StophuTst, Christian Van Eighen,
Hendrick Vollenhovon, and Rutger
Jan Schemmolphennick. names Which
sound similar TO those of the Kincker-
booker times at New Amsterdam. At
that time the lands were classified in
District No. 5 and 6 of the purchase
from the Indians Of 1874. The tracts
to the East of us woro laid out after
leaving the river, usually in 1000
acre lots. Other prominent early
warantees wero Jonathan Mifllin,
General Harmor, Geo. Meade, (ances-
tor of Gen. Meade) and others; while
West Of the river, some of tho tracts
wero patented by Pierce Butler, who
was man of note in early times
The farms Of Geo. S. Williams, and
Isaac Sjggins, near West Hickory
were on tho Butlor warrants. This
whole territory was then embraced
within the limits of Northumberland
Co., which seems almost Incompetent
siblo, considering that the county now
known by that name, lies about 20(
miles toward the rising sun.
What a field for reflection; Whai
an oxpanso of land in 1884, with it
rivers, hills, plains aud valleys; Wha
diversified population, tho Quaker
Moravian and Presbyterian on The
cast side, and the Indian savage OF
the west, worshipping the "Great Spir
it,"-hunting, fishing, living and dy
ing, as his fathers had dono for hun
dreds of years before him. All thi
J in tho then County of Northumber
} land. Reflect, too, over tho theI
I magnificent county,-larger than Hol
land or Switzerland! then imagin
: the counties as they now exist wOult
, have made for it townships; But w
cannot dwell. This part of Northum
borlaud, n few years after, becam
= Allegheny county, and shortly after
3 the world know it as Lycoming. Then
] in 1900, sold Venaugo" was erecte,
4 into q county, out of parts of the las
two named. Afterwards, Jeffersol
was made county, in 1904, fror
which 4 townships were, on the lit
of April, 1948, formed into a county
4 called Forest, which now consisted {
, 3 townships, known as Barnett, Jenk
! and Howe, containing about 20
s square miles, but was not really o.
ganized for judicial purposes, unit
about 1851, ail Marienville for th
county seat. This place was for year
known Gs "Blood's Settlement" a
though the place was really the
named Marienville. A small franz
two-story building was used as a Coul
House-Jail, they had none.
Tn 1860 the population consisted
898 inhabitants, all told. This terr
Is tory was doubled in area, and qna'
ruplod in population in October 1856