Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1895-07-19

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who by recent publications have
given so much of interest relating to
the century history Of our mother
county will pardon us for recalling
to mind some important omissions
in the stating of which we will be-
gin with Luzerne county which was
taken from Northumberland by act
of Assembly 25th Of September 17S6;
embracing the following boundaries:
Beginning at the mouth of Nesco-
peck creek and running along the
south bank thereof, eastward to the
head of said creek; thence, a due
east course to head branch Of Lehigh
creek; thence along the east branch
to the head thereof. from thence, a
due north course to the northern
boundry of the State; thence wast-
ward along said boundary till it eros
ses the east branch of the Susque>
hanna. and then along said northern
boundry fifteen miles west OF the
said river; thence by straight line
| TO the head of Towanda creek; thence
along the ridge which divides the
waters of the east branch OF the
Susquehanna from those OF the west
branch, to a point due west from
the mouth of the Nescopeck creek;
thence to the place Of beginning.
THE limits of the county embraced
the counties of Wayne, Susquehanna,
Bradford, Wyoming, Lackawanna
and the present boundaries OF Lu-
zerne, at this time number OF the
boundary lines were imperfectly
known, and subsequently questions
were brought into controversy.
Northumberland county was consti-
tuted in l772, and embraced the
northeastern part of the State includ-
ed in the Indiana treaty of 1858.
Luzerne embraced that part OF
Northumberland included in what
was known as Westmoreland Settle
ment, formerly under the ,iurisdic-
ton Of Connecticut and no. success,
fully resisted by Pennsylvania until
the formation of Luzerne. The part
along her northern boundary west of
the Susquehanna was not open for
settlement by Pennsylvania until
after the Indiana treaty Of 1884;
hence no jurisdiction was attempted
until the formation of Luzerne, two
years later.
An old map, described by DR..
Graft in his history of Bradford Co,
of Luzerne, shows the northern line
as beginning along the dividing line
between Pennsylvania and New
York at the fourth milestone
and following that line to the 80
milestone, this crosses the Susgue-
hanna between the 56th and 5Tth
milestone and the Tioga twice; first
ut the 63d and again at the 64th;
hence arose the question as to from
which crossing was intended the ex-
tention OF Is miles west. This was
determined in establishing the north
eastern boundary Of Tiago county,
aud the western line in part at least
coinsides with the present line be-
tween Bradford and Tioga counties.
The point from which the line of old
Luzerne took an eastward course
viz: From the head of Towanda
creek along the ridge which divides
the waters of the east branch of the
Susquehanna from the west branch,
was long subject of dispute. First
as to what constituted the head of
the creek and then in what consti-
tuted the divide This whole sub
ject has been thoroughly brought
out in publications of Hon. Q. D.
Eldred but seems now 10 have been
lost sight of by other writers.
The writer has been led to re-
examine this boundary question by
an evidently inadvertant statement
Of Meginness in giving the original
boundaries of Lycoming. The de.
scription on reaching the New York
state line in Warren county as fol-
lows: Thence eastward on the state
line until it intersected the line of
Luzerne near Athens in Bradford
county; thence southwark on the
line of 1luzerne until it came within
the range OF Muncy Hills"
Now, the facts are as above shown
that Lvcoming originally only ex>
tended along the state line to the
north. eastern corner of Tioga, and
although afterwards having acquired
the northern part of what in 1910
was concluded in Bradford by the