The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-08-17
LewistOwu.
SOMETHING ABOUT ITS EARLY HIS
TORY AND THE EARLY SETTLERS.
Williamsport Gazette & Bulletin.

| SOMETHING ABOUT ITS EARLY HIS
TORY AND THE EARLY SETTLERS.
Williamsport Gazette & Bulletin.
Miff1in county Is traversed by a
series of mountain ranges of most
picturesque beauty, and its valleys
are not exceeded for fertility and i'm
provements by any iu the state. The
mountain ranges commencing on the
southeast orc Dluc mountain, Jacks
mountain, Stone mountain and Path
Valley mountains, sometimes called
Seven mountains. The Juniata river
enters Mifflin at its southwest, and
wanders leisurely down the beautiful
vale in which Lewistown forms the
conspicuous gem. Overlooking the
Juniata and Lewistown, on ground
l6O feet above the river, is situated
Camp John Fulton Reynolds. The
view from division headquarters Is
magnificent; the town in the valley
below, the Juniata sweeping along
beside densely wooded and rocky
mountain sides, stretching away as
far as the eye can discern, the SUM-
beams dancing on the water brigh-
tening the crags and rocky banks, and
rejecting them again and again in the
water, produces an effect s;ngularly
grand.
THE FIRST SETTLERS.
The fat on which the eastern part
of Lewistown now stands previous to
settlement by the whites, was an In.
dian town of considerable Importance
The council house, tradition has it,
stood upon the east side of the creek,
with a line Of wigwams stretched
toward the north. The first settlers
were Arthur Buchanan, his two sons,
and three other families, all Scotch
Irish, who entered the land in 1865.
He made propositions to the Indians
for the purchase of the land, but it is
probable he acquired ownership by
treating them literally to the contents
of his rum keg, with Il few trinkets
and some tobacco thrown in to clinch
the bargain. Fort Granville was
above the town. 1t was assaulted and
captured by the Indians and French |
In July, 1855.
INDIANS AND EARLY MILITARY.
The Indians found in the valley |
when the whites first invaded it be-
longed to three or four tribes, the |
Delawares, Nionseys, Shawnees and |
probably the Tuscaroras, all of whom,
with the exception Of the latter, be |
longed to one of the eight great Indian
considerations. These Indians called |
themselves the Lehni Leuape, or
original people. White traders ven
tured into the valley as early as l740
but always left after transacting their
business. In l74l some Scotch-Irish
men pushed into the valley with the
determination of making it their fu-
ture home. Many fierce and sanguin-
ary struggles took place among the
Indians themselves, and to this day
the finding of Indian arrow-heads is
no uncommon occurrence. Lewis
town itself Was the scene Of almost a
riot in 1871. In those days military
spirit ran high In the Juuiata valley.
A man named Bryson had been ap
pointed an associate Judge by the
Governor. Previous to his appoint
ment he held the Office of brigadier
Inspector, and in his official capacity
refused to commission two colonies
elected by their regiment, but In their
stead commissioned two men of his
own selection. Looking upon this as
most unwarrantable assumption of
power, the men composing the regi-
nents resolved that he should not en-
oy the office of judge, and undertook
by force to carry out their resolve.