The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-01-31
THE QUAKERS OF CATAWISSA.
The First Meeting House Of a Pennsylvania
Frontier.
BY c. +. HILL.

AT the confluence of the Catawis-
"A Greek with the North Branch OF
the Susquehanna river ard just be
low where the latter breaks through
a spur of the Montour Ridge dis
playing an imposing sectional view
of it's red shall. formation lies the
quiet and sedate town OF Catawissa
the earliest, and once the rallying
point of the disciples and followers
of George Fox, of northern Pennsyl-
vania.
James LeFQrt, a french Indian
trader and interpreter located at
this place as early as May 1928.
In a message to the Provincial
Governor, Patrick Gordon, at
Philadelphia, calls it Catawassa.
The North Branch from Shamokin
upward, especially Catawissa, was
the home of the Shawanese, who
were divided into two tribes, the
Ganganese and the Piscatanese, to
which names it is not difficult to
trace the derivation of Catawissa.
The Quakers, the pioneer settlers
Of Catawissa first occupied the site
in 1910 and from thence the settle
ment radiated in all directions, but
principally up and down the river
and to the lowlands of the Fishing
Creek country. The site was pur
chased from the Proprietaries by
Edward and Joseph Shipper, Feb
ruary I4th 1910, who in May 1878
sold the same to William and Ellis
Hughes. William Hughes was a
Quaker from Berks county.
The Delaware Indians who bad
left the fork lands between the Le-
high aud Delaware rivers on ac-
count of the trouble which had
grown out of the walking purchase,
had removed to the Susquehanna
and there until after the breaking
out of the Revolutionary war were
the friends Of the settlers, until
they Joined the Six Nations and
the British and quit the Susquehan-
ma forever except at such times as
they resisted it with the tomahawk
and scalping knife when the know
ledge they had gained Of the settle
ments by their former associations
on the frontier, served them in
good stead. The Quakers at the
breaking out of the war were as
ever true to the gospel of peace
while the settlements were skirted
by an element of royalism that was
at once dangerous and alarming tc
the patriot settlers and was the
cause of no little reflection upon the
good name and fame of this people.
In the spring Of 1878 Lieut.. Mos
es Van Campen was sent from Fort
Augusta at Shamokin by Col. Sam
uel Hunter tc erect fort on the
outskirts of this quaker settlement
which he did by building Fort
Wheeler on the Fishingcreek neat
what is now the town OF Ligh,
Street. Columbia County complet'
ing it in the month of May. Scarce
ly had the Fort reached completion
when the Indians made an attack
the first made on the North Branch
during the Revolutionary war
While Van Campen and his force
were at work at Light Street and
James jenkins assisted by Captain
John Clingaman and his force were
busy building Fort jenkins on the
river above, the Friends at Cata
wissa were equally industrious il
the erection OF meetinghouss
which was fully completed in I7So
and which a marvel of wonder, /.
the only building in existence, a
relic OF the days of the border war
fare of the Susquehanna.
The only other remaining relic
of the Revolutionary War in the
community contemporary with tn
Quaker Meeting House at Catawis'