The Shoemaker Covered Bridge, and Mill, In Muncy

This quaint covered bridge was removed in 1923 to make way for the present day concrete structure.

From the book 

Where The Wigwams Stood by Katherine Yurchak

Which can be read in it's entirety here:

https://archive.org/details/wherewigwamsstoo00kath

From the Nelson Davis Collection, 1935

The "new" concrete bridge can be seen at the top right

This covered bridge was once located at the Y intersection between Hughesville and Muncy  - beside the current day Hulls Landing restaurant.  In the Parking lot stands the mill stone and marker for "First Flour Mill In The Valley", Built in 1772.

The present concrete bridge is a replacement for the historic Shoemaker Covered Bridge  "through which, among others, passengers of the Underground Railroad made their way over the Genesee Road, and on to the Canadian Border." according to Where The Wigwams Stood by Kathy Yurchak

Marker Located at

N 41° 12.695', W 76° 45.482'

"At this place was the first flour mill in this valley. Built by John Alward about 1772. Destroyed by Indians, 1779. The second mill built on the same site by Henry Shoemaker, 1763. The third mill built about 1800 by Jacob, son of Henry Shoemaker. Owned and operated by Shoemakers until 1872. Mill demolished and materials sold 1918."

FIRST GRIST MILL.

The first grist mill west of Muncy Hills was erected on Muncy creek by John Alward in 1772. , It stood on the spot now occupied by the "old plaster mill," a few yards from the brick mill now owned by the Jacob Cooke heirs. Henry Shoemaker, grandfather of Charles Shoemaker, bought the mill before the Indian troubles of 1778-79 began. When the savages invaded the valley the mill gearings were concealed. and saved, but they destroyed the building. The mill stood outside the present borough limits.

John Alward was from Berks county. An autograph letter, written in 1784 to Samuel Wallis, shows that he was living in Windsor township at that time. In 1786 he was imprisoned for debt at the suit of Baltzer Neyfang for £3 10s. In his petition to the court of Berks county for discharge upon the ground of being an insolvent debtor, he shows that Samuel Wallis owed him £1,000. Others owed him large sums but he could not collect them. Upon assigning his estate for the benefit of his creditors he was discharged, March 12, 1788.

The mill was no doubt small and rudely constructed, but it served the purpose for which it was erected and was of great service to the pioneers. People came to it with grists a long distance, and "going to mill" in those days was an event of more than ordinary importance. Alward, the original builder, was a man of considerable enterprise and very useful in the settlement.  History of Lycoming County Pennsylvania edited by John F. Meginness; ©1892

In Yurchack's book, she notes that Henry Shoemaker purchased the land here from John Alward, who, after settling in the valley in 1772, built a grist mill beside the Muncy Creek. When the Indians were about to invade the valley in 1778, Alward and his family escaped to Fort Augusta in the Big Runaway.  Before heading to Sunbury,  Alward buried the gears for his grist mill, saving them from destruction when the Indians torched everything in the area.  Those gears were later used to operate the Shoemaker Mill.  Yurchak also notes that when the mill was dismantled, a piece of timber, "and excellent piece of hemlock" was sold to be used in the manufacturing of violins.

HENRY SHOEMAKER and his wife Barbara emigrated from Germany to Berks county prior to the Revolutionary war. They subsequently brought their family by wagon and canoes from Harrisburg to Lycoming county, landing with the canoes in May, 1783, at what is known as Walton’s Ferry, a short distance below the mouth of Muncy creek. During his lifetime Mr. Shoemaker became the owner of valuable lands aggregating about 2,000 acres. He was among the first men to construct a grist and saw mill in that section of the county. He was a man of strong mental and physical powers, and was honest and upright in every particular. He died in 1799, the father of nine children: Henry, who married Susan Dudder; Benjamin, who married Mary Scudder; Jacob, who married Margaret Robb; George, who married Isabella Robb; Samuel, who married Rosanna Kidd; Hannah, who married Henry Kirk; Elizabeth, who married Henry Antes; Mary, who married Thomas Youngman, and Susan, who married Edward Gobin.  History of Lycoming County Pennsylvania
edited by John F. Meginness; ©1892

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Where The Mills Once Stood - An Index

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/03/where-mills-once-stood.html

 https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-covered-bridges-index.html

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More Stories & History From Muncy Pa

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2021/03/muncy-pennsylvania.html

More stories and history from nearby towns:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/p/history.html

More History & Research Notes:

The Pennsylvania Archives includes this listing:
"Shoemakers Bridge, Muncy Creek Township, descriptive form and five 1957 photographs"
Although how there soucld be 5 1957 photographs of a bridge torn down in 1923, I do not know.  

From The Find A Grave Listing For Henry Shoemaker - 
Henry Shoemaker son of Jacob Jr and Elizabeth Roberts Shoemaker. Grandson of Jacob Shoemaker(who arrived in 1683 as servant of Francis Daniel Pastorius, founder of Germantown, (now Philadelphia)Pennsylvania under direction of Wm Penn. Henry and brother Charles are original settlers of Shoemakersville, Berks County, Pa. 1797 - Estate Record - Muncy, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania - Will Bk 1 - Pg 12 - Henry Shoemaker, Muncy Twp. (signed in German characters, "Henry Shoemaker, the elder" will partly in German with German delineations running through the English as several of these will already mentioned do the same) this one translated by Marvin Withington, a most interesting document, bequests are to wife Barbara, ... sons Henry, Jacob, George, and Samuel, also daus Hannah, wife of Christian Kirk... Elizabeth, wife of Henry Antes, Jr ... Mollie, Christianna, and Susanna. Wit: John Smith, Godfried Fister November 22, 1797 - Exec'rs; Wife Barbara, sons Henry & Benjamin, and Jacob with son in law Henry Antes, Jr.