Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-02-17

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down and disappears. Mahoning was,
therefore, choice spot for an Indian
town and town Of more than COM
mon note among the Indians.
Toby Town.-This town, so called
after large and powerful Indian by
the name Of Toby, stood on Toby
Rum" little above the Insane Asy-
lnm, about two miles above Danviile.
But whether it stood on the banks Of
the Susquehanna river near the
mouth Of Toby Run, or on top Of the
high ridge of earth there along the
river. am not able to say. passed
along there in my boyhood days on
my road to and from Reading, and
heard various stories about Toby and
his town. but / can give no satisf;'c-
tory account of them.
"Classawango. This town stood
still farther up the river, but on the
south side, and about half way be
ween Danville and the town Of Cata-
wissa, but cannot state where it
stood. Who can?
"Catawissa. This town stond at
the mouth of Catawissa creek, where
the town Of Catawissa, in Colum bia
county, now stands. This is evident.
from the fact that many Indian arrow
heads, flint stones, smoke pipes, &c,
have been p'owed up there, and some
are still found in the fields around
the town. The mountains along
whose sides the Catawissa railroad
now runs, must have formed fine
hunting grounds for the Indians.
"Osk kohary. ."-Oskohary stood still
farther up the North Branch of the
Susquehanna river, somewhere this
side of the old Indian town OF Nishi.
beckon, now the town of Nescopeck,
in Luzerne county, but l am unable
to fix the site of Oskohary- Who Can
do that p-[Dr.. Mac Crea, of Berwick,
thinks the beautiful and romantic
valley at the mouth OF the Briar
creek, was the locality of the Indian
town known as Oskohary
This sketch of Nishmeckkachlo.
Mahoning, Toby Town, Classawango,
Catawissa and Oskohary, is imperfect
in many respects, and have written
it Just to draw attention to these old
Indian towns, and get some Of our
citizens to give us what traditional
accounts they have had as to the
exact sports where said towns stood,
and what Indian tribe or tribes dwelt
there, and what were the names Of
their Chiefs, and also what the names
of these Indian towns signify, since
Indian names fittings always had
some peculiar meaning. just as the
| Jewish names of olden times had
among the Jews, as we learn flom
the Bible. And so l, in common with
others, would be pleased to see our
| newspaper editors publish this sketch,
and add to it such fragmentary In.
formation as they are able to gather
up concerning these ancient habita-
tions Of the red men on the North
Branch Of the Susquehanna river.
There certainly must be some tradi-
tional accounts still existing in and
around each of these neighborhoods,
as it regards the said towns, and
that, whatever it may be, would be
very interesting in fixing the exact
spots where they stood, aud the
like.
Ny father lived in Northumberland
when was boy, and often took mt
along up to Danyille in sulky ol
buggy, to see an uncle Of mine, who
then resided on farm on the bank:
of the river above Danville, and in
passing up and down between thes'
towns, often heard from my father
and other persons interesting stories
about the Indians who once LIVED
along Montour Ridge, but ] am I'm
able to recall any particulars worth,
of motel and so l must now leave m,
sketch to be corrected and complete,
by others who have better knowlede,
of these matters than / have. But
cannot close my remarks withou
asking the reader to look at aud ad