LIMESTONE TOWNSHIP
"This was one of the townships struck off from Derry in the latter part of "the forties." It is in the heart of the rich agricultural portion of the county. The oldest living resident of this township is Joseph GIBSON; he is the great grandson of the noted early settler and surveyor, Henry GIBSON. His father, Henry GIBSON, died in November, 1860, aged eighty-two years and eight months. Through the three generations born and reared in this county, they have been of the most prominent people in this part of the State. The VALIET family can trace their lineage back to the Crusaders of the tenth century. The first immigrants to come to this country arrived in Allentown in 1749. The present representative of this family in Limestone Township is Stephen VALIET. Probably the next oldest families to come to this country were the DAVISes, now represented by Joshua DAVIS. They came to the country in 1754. Of the early settlers were the GOUGER family. John William GOUGER was long a representative pioneer settler and the family were among the most prominent and influential people in the county. Jacob GOUGER came with his parents when a child. Jacob SHULTZ was a pioneer to this part of the State and a soldier in the war of 1812. He lived in the township until he died. James SHELL married a daughter of his and is now residing on the SHULTZ farm. The FULMERS were early comers and a people much respected. One of them served some time as associate judge in this county.
Limestoneville was founded by Daniel SMACK in 1835. He had settled here, and about that time erected dwelling and store, making a large establishment for that day, and one of the finest store-rooms in the county. He determined to make a town of the place and he allowed full swing to his spirit of enterprise. He built a blacksmith shop and secured a smithy to run it; then a tailor and fixed him up in a shop, and then a shoemaker. But he did not stop with the temporal comforts and affairs of the people, but pushing ahead he built a Methodist Church and called able and earnest flock tenders to wend their way to his moral green pastures. The church building is a frame, and is supplied regularly from Milton. A very nice brick schoolhouse was put up. Indeed Mr. SMACK's ambition was fully consummated--a town had been built up, and the outlook was flattering for its continued prosperity. A hotel had been opened by a German. BALLIET & McCORMICK had opened a store, and then bought out SMACK's store and its belongings, which included the town itself, and they became not only the store-keepers but the town proprietors. They conducted the mercantile business with success until 1848, when they sold to Jacob WIDENHOWER. There are now two stores in the place, many comfortable residences and the general surroundings that are important to the people in a small village. It is one of the nine places in the county that has a postoffice. Near Mr. GOUGER's residence in this township is a place called California. It is merely a cluster of farm houses adjacent to each other, and in the settlement is a schoolhouse." The History of Columbia and Montour Counties, Battle, 1887
"The village of Limestoneville was founded in 1835, through the erection of a dwelling and store by Daniel Smack. The establishment was a pretentious one for the time and place, and the ambition of the owner to found a community was given full sway. The next thing added to the settlement was a blacksmith shop, and after it was erected the enterprising pioneer secured a smith to conduct it. He built a shop for a tailor and another one for a shoemaker and placed men in charge. His energy extended further and in a more philanthropic direction, when the construction of a Methodist church was begun. Upon its completion Daniel Smack organized a congregation which filled the frame building, and the fulfillment of his ambition—that of building a town—was reached, when a brick schoolhouse augmented the other utilities of the community. A hotel was opened by a German who had come to the village. Later Balliet & McCormick entered into a commercial rivalry with Daniel Smack which terminated when the partners purchased his interests, lock, stock and barrel, as it were, and not only became proprietors of the Smack store, but of the community itself. This mercantile business they conducted with success until 1848, when they sold out to Jacob Weidenhamer. From those early days Limestoneville has grown to be a pretentious and thrifty village of comfortable residences and such public conveniences, including a post office, as accrue to a place of its size.
The first steam sawmill in Limestone Township was built in 1888 by Ellis Cromley at Limestoneville. John Schalter built a chop mill in 1892, and later operated by John N. Herr.
Limestoneville Institute was established in 1862 in a substantial brick building. It was a classical high school, under the care of W. D. Weidenhamer, president; Rev. Lucien Cort, secretary; A. S. Wagner, treasurer; and David Davis, trustee, for an association of stockholders. The school opened with a goodly number of attendants, and with Rev. Lucien Cort as the principal. His successors were: Professors Alden, J. Hay Brown, present chief justice of the Supreme court of Pennsylvania, William G. Ritter, Charles S. Albert, J. E. Shadle, J. P. Bergner, William Pullen and W. B. Shedden. The latter was the last instructor, in 1889, the school being closed because of lack of attendance and support." - Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties Pennsylvania, Vol. 1, J.H.Beers & Co., 1915
1876 Map of Limestoneville, Montour County PA
Academy,
William H. Davis,
School,
Store & PO WM Kramm
Residence of Jno. W. Caldwell
Residence H. W. Gibson, also Store House
H.W. Gibson
Machine Shop (part of the Gibson property?)
Misses Gauger
W. Weidenhammer
Wm Kramm
D. Strous
L. Thomas
P. Whykoff
L. Fullmer
Fk. Zellers
Jos. Gibson
Mrs Wedenhammer
R.Sh
Jos. Gibson
Methodist Church
Hello, a little history on the stone that used to set across from Dye's Garage. The stone is now in front of Limestone Township Office and Equipment shed. The stone was placed in honor of Earl Dye's grandaughter, Barb Heddens who was the queen of the Milton Sesquicentennial in 1967.
ReplyDelete