Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-02-17
INDIAN TOWNS OF M0NT0UR
AND NORTHUMBERLAND
COUNTIES.

Through the courtesy of r. w. Eggert, the
veteran editor and printer of Danville, we
are permitted to publish the following Indian
history taken from his ancient scrap book:l
Northum berland, Columbia and
Montour counties contained numerous
Indian towns long before any white
men saw this region Of country. Let
us, so far as we have been able to
gather knowledge of them, look at
those that stood on the North Branch
of the Susquehanna river, between
our present towns of Northumher-
land and Ne-copeck in Luzerne
county.
Nishmekkachlo This town stood
on the south side of Montour's Ridge,
and somewhere about midway be
tween our present towns Of Mort hum
bertrand and Dauville exact spot un.
known to the writer of this sketch. |
am inclined to think it was the resid-
ence of Manawyhickon, II distinguish
ed Delaware Chief who ruled over the
Indians of these parts before the great
Sbikellamy and Sassoonan Chiefs
made their appearance at Shohomo-
kin or Shaumoking the old Indian
town on the present site OF Sunbury,
since our old writer informs lis that
Manawyhickon lived somewhere on
the North Branch, not far from Shau.
moking.
Mahouing.-ThiS town stood near
mouth of Nahoning creek, on its
west side, little below where the
public bridge crosses the said creek,
and about a mile below the present
town of Danville, in Montour county.
Montour Ridge, pretty high and
beautifully formed elevation Of earth,
run- northeastward from point near
Mort hum berland, but leaves nice
valley of beautiful land between its
base and the North Branch of the
Susquehanna river. This valley, as
we approach Danville from Northum-
berland, gets narrower until it ends
in what is called The Narrows"-
grounds just wide enough for the
public road TO pass conveniently
ong the foot of the ridge. 1t was
at the eastern end of these narrows
where the Indian town of Mahonine
stood. Montour Ridge at this point
presents TO the eye of the beholder q
high, bold and imposing appearance,
and becomes more and more so until
lust on the north side OF Danville il
tel inmates very suddenly, with 6
high, wall like face towards the east
and then sweeping sharply around II
runs north for several miles with the
same high wall-like face on the west
side of the small and narrow, but
beautiful valley of Mahoning and its
creek of the same name. Every
traveller who visits Danville looks
with admiration upon this high,
blutry and picturesque termination Of
Mon,our Ridge and is delighted with
the rich and beautiful dark green
f,lage Of its thickly grown evergi cen
pine and spruce trees that crown its
Top and sides, excepting cleared ol
bare spo, just north of Dauville) ane
towards the C ose of every sunny day
throw "a dark, itch shade over tn,
snug little valley at its base. IT.
scenery looks Wild and romantic ever
In our day, but must have ieen ia
wilder and grander when the Indians
roamed over the ridge in the pursui
of wild turkeys and deer or speare'
the fish that sported in the water
close by.
Montour Ridge at Danville looks a
If Noah's deluge or some other grea
commoiion of our earlh's waters ha,
burst passage way through tn
ridge at this point, and so made thi
valley, for the ridge itself quickly re
appears again with sloping hu
nearly an equally elevated face on th
east side of Danville, and then run
on the eastward to and beyond III
town Of Bioomsbprg, in Columbi