The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-03-17

wanese, tribe of the Fries, driven from the
great lakes south about 1908, to Georgia
and Florida, becoming involved there with
the Spanards and southern Indians, returned
north about 1690.' It's certain that they
came into the Province in or about 1897. They
settled along the Delaware and the Susquehan-
ma, among the Delawares, and under the
control of the Six Nations. Mr.. Pearce
goes on to say, however, "The Shawanese
had a village at Fishingcreek near Blooms
burg, and at Catawissa, and small settle
ment near Briar creek"
Neither the Gangawese nor the Shawa-
nesc belonged to the Deawares, yet it is not
impo ,sible they may have been settled as
above stated, and "Catawese" may belong
to one of them, seeing they have the same
and the word in any one of the above dia-
lects may mean, as claimed, "Pure water"
1t may be curious to note here, that at a
council held at Philadelphia in July and
August, 1889, between Thomas Penn and
the Shawanese Indians, upon being asked
if they are at war with any Indians to the
southwark, they said that they were at war
with the Catawbas and Catewas Indians, in
Carolina"
In 1923 some troubles occurring between
us and the Shawanese, Conrad Weiser was
sent to Shamokin to have an interview with
them and others. On the 4th Of February
they met at the house of Shikelimo, and he
| found among the assembly "Olumapies and
Lapapeton of the Delawares" In 1854 Mr..
| Weiser finds the same Delaware chief, SPELL
ing his name, however, Lapackpitton, at
| Oskohany doubtless from the context mean
ing Catawissa. In 1853 / find, in Posts
Journal, the name spelled Lappopetung.
He was a man of some note, and for a time
| fastened his name upon the town of "Cata-
wese," and in those ancient deeds the name
is spelled Lau-paugh- -petin. Well peace
to his ashes, however it be.
Certainly as early as 1928 there were
white people in and about Catawissa butt
first account we have of settlement made
under law and purchase was the granting by
Patent, Of two hundred and eighty two
acres, on which part of the town now
stands by the Honorable the Proprietaries
of Pennsylvania to Edward Shippen Jr.,
and Joseph Shipper Jr., the 14th of Febru-
ary, l770, who by their indenture on the 1st
of May, 1913. granted the same unto Ellis
Hughes in fee who, with Hannah, his wife,
by their indenture of the 9th day,,of June,
177S, granted ninety-two acres and one quar-
ter of an acre, part of the above mentioned
tract unto William Hughes, who laid out
the town in the year 1897.
Although an attempt was made to fasten
the name of the founder upon it, the good
sense of the people settled on the already
well lnown and sweet sounding original
and whether Wanamese, or Shawanese, or
Gangawese, it will remain "Catawese" for
ever.
William Hughes was Quaker from Berk.
county. Isaiah Hughes kept the, first store
Among the earlier pioneers were William
Collins, James Watson, John Lloyd. --
Fenton Benjamin Sharpless, and Others OF
the Society of Friends. OF those mentioned
there seemsto be no. records, except of the
Sharpess family, of whom there remain.tht
following.interesting facts;
The ancestor purchased from William
Penn in England, by indenture dated Apri
9th, 1852, one thousand acres of land in the
Province of Pennsylvania, for twenty pounds
sterling, and an annual quit rent of one shil
ling for every hundred acres, on the first
day of March, forever. The land was locat
ed in Chester county, about two miles nortl
from Chester, and in Providence township
and Middleton township, now in Delawar
county. John Sharpless, the purchaser, dice
in 1855, aged about 81 years, and Jane, hi
wife, in 1922, aged about S4 years. OF thei
children, Thomas died on shipboard, Pheb
and Jane in 1855, and Caleb in 1888 leaving
three sons, John, James and Joseph, from
whom the entire Sharpless family are de
scended. John Sharpless, the elder brother
married Hannah Pennel daughter of Rob
ert Pennel, in 1862, and resided on the trac
purchased off Ridley creek, near Chester
They had nine children, Caleb, Jane, Han
nah, john Phebe, Rebecca, Margaret, AM
and Daniel. He died in l747, at tue age o
81 years, his wife having died in 1921,
James Sharpless, the second brother, mar
ried Mary Lewis, daughter of Ralph anC
Mary Lewis, from Glamorganshire, in Wales
and settled on the second tract above men
toned, in Providence township. They hat
eight children, Lydia, Mary, James, Rachel
Sarah, Thomas, David and Esther.
Joseph Sharpless, the younger brother
married Lydia Lewis, sister to his brothe
James wife, and in pursuance of a famil
arrangement settled on the third tract, i
Middleton township. They had ten chill
dren, Susanna, Joseph, Benjamin, Samue
Lydia, Nathan, Jane, Abraham, Jacob an
William lie died in 1857, and his wife i
1865. OF these children, Benjamin settle
in Catawissa.
John Mcars, famous Quaker preache
and physician, man of great energy {
character, afterwards became the Proprieto
of the town by buying up the quit rents.
1896 James Watson laid out an addition I
the town. Among the Germans, Georq
Knappenberger came about 1890 and too
or established ferry across the SusquehaI
ma. Christian Brobst, whose descendant
active and extensive business men, are sti
there, came about 1898. John Hauck WI
one of the first, if not the first, to build
furnace in the region, on Roaringcreek
1916, He made the rough old ten pla
stove, many of which with his imprint we
scattered through the country.
The shad fishery of the Catawissa was OF
of the most famous on the Susquehann
both for the quantity and the quality of Il
fish.
Close by the town the Susquehanna breal
through the Catawissa mountain, makir
| snpna wild and bpauti fill spanarv Tho rocl