The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-08-20
AN AND DEMOCRAT BLOOMSBURY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, PA.A
Berwick, returning via Huntington and

Plymouth.
The old academy was butt in 1899 by
Thomas Connolly, supplanting the market
house in location and In its varied uses.
A few years ago II was demolished and its
space In Market street given up to street
use, which was demanded, while hand
some new school building has taken its
place further out Market street. This
change took place in 1878.
Shad were seined by the wagon load and
a load could be obtained for a barrel of
| salt, so scarce was this commodity. The
best shad sold for four cents. One was
caught weighing nine pounds. Butter
brought six cents pound and calico from
thirty to fifty cents yard.
The residents did their washing at the
river and left their kettles along the shore
the year round.
The first children born were John and
Annie Brown, children of Robert. Annie
became the wife of Jesse Bowman. She
was the first person married in Berwick.
The Lackawanna & Bloomsbury r. Il.
was opened to Berwick in 1858.
The First National Bank was organized
in 1854, with NJ w. Jackson as president
and N. L. jackson cashier.
The first fire engine was obtained in 1926.
A fire in the Jackson & Woodin works in
| 1857 destroyed 1t.
| Berwick had its cannon, but little II any
| thing has been seen or heard of it since
| the firing of salute on the return of the
Mexican soldiers, when through prema-
ture discharge, Sam. Iddings lost an arm.
| Drs. A. b. Wilson and Josiah jackson
began the practice of medicine in 1928.
The latter had "a store connected with his
Office. Drs.' Beebe and Townsend were
early practitioners, as also DR.. Langdon,
who was rendered incapable to practice by
dementia.
| The first military company was organ
ized by Charles Snyder. Training days
were great occasion, the battalion drills of
infantry, cavaliy, etc, making an imposing
military display, TO witness which the peo-
pie in all the country roundabout visited
the town.
Ground was broken for the North Branch
Canal at Berwick, July 4, 1928. Mr.. Pews
had the contract for the Berwick section
and Nicholas Seybert for the section aboye.
There were fourteen drinking places in the
town during the buildidg of the canal, and
pure whisky sold at 3 cents a dram.
Packet boats named the George Denison
and Gertrude were launched by Miller Hor-
ton and A. o. Chahoon in 1885.
The accident resulting from the several
attempts to navigate the Susquehanna is
still remembered by some of onr old,r
residents. The Codorus, a boat built al
York, drawing only s inches of water
made a successful trip to Wilkes-Barre and
as far north as Binghamton in the Spring
of 1926. A second steamboat, the Susque
hanna, built at Baltimore, and drawing IA
inches, made the next attempt. 1t reached
the Berwick falls May Sd, 1926. Rich pine
wood was piled under the boiler, a full
head of steam raised and the effort made
to ascend the rapids. But the strain was
too great and the boiler bur st with sac
reaults. Five persons were killed, two o.
three of whom are buried in the Berwick
graveyard, and most of the twenty wht
remained on the boat were more or les
injured.
Berwick's newspaper record dates clos
upon 1900. VIM. Caruthers made the mi
tial attempt with the Berwick Independe,l
American in 1919, he having started tn
paper some time previously in Nescopeck
Daniel Bowen issued paper in 1927, Geo
Mack in 1882, j. Il. Davis in 1884, the
Wilbur & Joslyn, then Tate and Gengewei
then b. F. Gilmore, then ID. G. Kitchen
then Pearce & Snyder, then j. M. Snyder
then Tate and Irwin, then w. ii. Hibbs
then A. B. Tate, then ]. 8. Sanders.
M. w. Jackson and Judge Mack built
: foundry in 1910, which was run by hors
power. The firm changed to McCurdy I
:. Jackson, then to M. W. Jackson and
1S49 to Jackson & Woodin. In 1872 it b,
i came the Jackson & Woodin Manufactu
:, ing Co., and this year also the rolling mi
J. addition was made to the plant. TIL
;. company has done successful business
making fortunes for the several member
# and it continues to be an institution
r. considerable magnitude.
&C The Odd Fellows Society is one of Il
l. old societies. 1t owns handsome bull
!. ing, which was erected in 1867, and is
r. prosperous organization With large mer
re bership.
D. James Pratt, soldier of the Revolution
i. was one OF the early residents.
h. The Oldest tombstone in the graveya
v. bears the date 1904. There are buried
g. the cemetery 2 soldiers of the reyolutio
g. 3 of the war of 1872 of the war of Me
ct leo, II of the rebellion.
As The first cornet band was organized
IL lS41 by G. S. Tuition and led by j. NJ. Sn
ID der.
ia The telegraph was extended into t
in town in 1850
ID The above contains the main data col
v prisjng Berwick's earlier history.
rt effort has been made to bring the reco
down to the present. which is manifest
ts needless when simply the earlier events a
he intended to be dealt with. No pretenti
ne to absolute correctness is assumed, as aft
as the lapse of so many years it is extreme
n. difficult to fix dates, names and events
re ALL to say nothing of the almost impossil
,r- task of arrangement in chronological ORD
a or historic sequence with such material
is at hand and the brief time that could
IL allotted to the subj ject.- Wilkes Ba, &c
-, cord.
NO SCOTT'S EMULSION OF PURI
re God Liver Oil, With Hypophosphites.
IN Gen 'ral De6Any EmdcidtiOn, Coasonpt
ana Wasting in Chttdrea