Assorted Stories & History From Millville, Columbia County Pennsylvania
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History of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, 1887
GREENWOOD TWP
The site of the town of Millville was originally possessed by William and Elizabeth McMean. Their applications for warrants were dated April 3, 1769 and the corresponding surveys were among the first in this region. This part of the township was also the first to receive settlement and cultivation. The title to the McMean tracts and others adjoining passed to Reuben Haines, a Philadelphia brewer, and from him, in 1774, John Eves purchased twelve hundred acres of land for the sum of one-hundred and forty five pounds. There is a difference of opinion as to the time when he became a resident of the valley of Little Fishing creek, but the preponderance of evidence seems to indicate that he settled upon his land before the title was acquired or the purchase concluded.
If this view is correct, his first visit to the region was made in 1769. Leaving his home at Mill Creek Hundred, New Castle county, Deleware, and crossing Lancaster county, he reached the Susquehanna at Harris' ferry. Following the river to Sunbury, he crossed to the east bank of the " West Branch," which he followed to a settlement near the present site of Milton. Here he made diligent inquiry concerning Little Fishing creek, and the location of lands then owned by the McMeans. He was unable to glean any information from the settlers, but two Indians offered to guide him thither; they followed the Indian trail from "ye great isle" to Nescopeck, until they reached the foot of Fairview, an eminence overlooking Millville. When they had ascended to its summit, his guides pointed to the valley below, and Eves knew that he had at last reached the vicinity of his future home. After examining the timber and soil they returned that day to the Susquehanna, whither he continued his journey to Mill Creek Hundred.
The next summer he returned, and with his eldest son, Thomas, built a small log cabin in a ravine to the west of Little Fishing creek. The following spring he made his third journey from New Castle county, accompanied this time by his family. They followed the same route as he on his first journey but, from the mouth of the Chillisquaque, were obliged to cut a road through the woods. Shortly after their arrival at the cabin, built the previous summer, an incident occurred which caused some regret concerning the trouble taken in bringing hogs from Delaware. These animals found shelter in a bank of leaves among the branches of a fallen tree. The porcine community was one night invaded by an enemy from the forest, and one of its numbers died a violent death; the next day the drove went into the woods, apparently upon their usual foraging expedition, but failed to return at night. Some months later it was ascertained that they crossed the Susquehanna, and from all appearances were progressing in a bee-line to New Castle county. The first effort to introduce hogs into Greenwood, was thus a failure. The abundance of all kinds of game, however, prevented any serious inconvenience in consequence.
The family at Little Fishing creek were not utterly isolated, although their nearest neighbor's were in the valley of the "West Branch." Parties of Indians from Wyoming traversed the trail on visits to their dusky brothers at points farther west, passing and repassing the solitary farm, and bringing its occupants into constant contact with every phase of savage character. The opportunity to receive them with uniform courtesy and kindness was well improved. The presence of the family on an exposed frontier at a time when others found safety only in flight, and the refusal of John Eves, with others of the society of Friends, to take up arms when the war of the revolution began, caused the provincial authorities to suspect him of being a tory. Spies were sent to inquire into the matter, but the charge could not be substantiated. It was not sympathy with the British, but exceptional wisdom and kindness that secured for them an immunity from the ravages of the border warfare.
The day after ther Wyoming massacre, July 4, 1778, a friendly Indian gave timely warning of the approach of danger. By noon of that day the household goods were on the wagon, and by nightfall the party reached Bosley's mills, a stockade on the site of Washingtonville. From this point the journey was pursued to Mill-Creek Hundred.
In 1785 or 1786, the settlement of Greenwood valley was again begun. On their return the Eves found their buildings a mass of charred ruins, and the fields overgrown with bushes. Two houses and a mill were built, the latter being the first in the township. Piles at the side of the old mill race are still in a good state of preservation after the lapse of a hundred years. Others began to enter the township about the same time. Among these families appear the familiar names of Lemon, Lundy, Link, Battin and Oliver. The Lemons located about the center of the township. The Lundy family built a house in which Reuben S. Rich, a descendant, now lives. Jacob Link, in 1797, opened the first tavern in the township. In the same year four brothers Thomas, Samuel, John and William Mather, removed from Buffalo valley to Green creek. Joshua Robbins, Archibald Patterson, George aud William McMichael, native Scotchmen, settled in the same locality.
The first road through this region followed the course of the Indian trail from the " West Branch" to Berwick. Until 1798 the trail itself constituted the only highway to the "North Branch." In that year a road was surveyed from the river across the Mount Pleasant hills. At this early date, and to a greater extent during certain periods since, the Green and Little Fishing creeks have been the channels by which the timber on their banks has found its way to the Susquehanna, and thence to the mills at Harrisburg and Marietta. During autumn and winter, trees were felled, and logs collected where the banks of the streams were high and deep. They were here built into rafts of such shape that when the streams current had risen to a sufficient height these could be pushed into the seething torrent below. Skillful piloting was required to conduct them safely to the broader channel of the river. Sometimes the fastenings of a raft would burst asunder, and the logs and driftwood form a compact dam, diverting the water of the creeks into the meadows on their banks; or perhaps the jam would break, and the pent-up volume of water rush madly on with overpowering velocity. The sluggish appearance of these streams in the summer months cannot convey an adequate idea of their importance in years past in connection with the lumber industry. As early as 1820 an effort was made to obviate the danger of thus transporting the principal commodity of the region by opening another road to the river. It was not until 1856 that the final success of this project was assured. The legislature in in that year made an appropriation for the construction of a road from Bloomsburg to Laporte, in Sullivan county, though the valley of Little Fishing creek. The extensive travel which has ever since passed over this highway proves its necessity and importance. The year 1856 begins an era of rapid development and improvement in the whole township, but particularly in the struggling village of Millville.
It had an existence, however, long before the first inception of the state roads in the minds of its original projectors, and has completed the first century of its history, dating the beginning at the time when the Eves' mill was built. Thomas Eves succeeded his father in the ownership of the mill, and built the first house in the village on the site of a structure recently erected by Josiah Heacock. In this house, in 1827, David and Andrew Eves opened the first store in the township. Four years later David Eves was commissioned postmaster; Andrew Eves succeed him; James Masters held the position from 1842 to 1849; George and William Masters were in charge from the latter date until 1886, from which it appears that during a period of more than fifty years but two families were represented in the list of incumbents. The mail was brought from Berwick until October, 1879, at first once, but afterward twice, a week. Subsequently, a route was opened from Bloomsburg to Sereno, and mail received at Millville three times a week. A daily mail has since been established.
The business interests of Millville are represented by a number of stores, factories and planing-mills. In 1813 John Watson started a woolen factory. The plant comprised two carding machines and a fulling-mill. Wool was brought here by farmers to be cleaned and carded; the process of weaving was performed at their houses, after which it was returned in the shape of "homespun,'' to be colored and pressed, Chandler Eves succeeded Watson, and built a large brick structure on the opposite side of the water-course from the site of his first building. Unfortunately, it has not fulfilled it promise of an extensive manufacturing establishment. The wagon factory established by Charles Eves in 1837 has had a different career. The wagons here made have always sustained an excellent reputation for durability and superior finish. Under the management of John Eves, the present proprietor, the quality of the work has not deteriorated from its high standard of excellence. Henry Getty and William Greenly started a planing-mill in 1881; Shoemaker and Lore followed with another three years later. The lumber here manufactured finds a market in the vicinity, or is shipped to various points. It is probable that these industries will be important and permanent factors in furthering the growth of the town.
A striking feature of the business enterprise of this village, not often found in places of its size, is the "Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Millville." It was incorporated September 7, 1875, and organized the following month with Joseph W. Eves, president, and Ellis Eves, secretary. They have held their respective offices continuously to this time (September, 1886). For the six years prior to July 31, 1886, there was no assessment whatever, notwithstanding the low rate at which policies were issued. Nothing further need be advanced in proof of the prosperous condition of the company's finances.
Amid all this business activity, the social necessities of the people have not been neglected. The Millville Reading Circle was organized in Winter of 1882-83, and met at the houses of its members. In order to increase and extend its usefulness, it was subsequently merged into the "Good Intent Literary Society.'' A large library has been collected through the co-operation of the citizens and public schools.
Several fraternal and beneficent societies are also represented. Millville Lodge, I. 0. 0. F., No, 809, was organized August 20, 1872 , with twenty-one members. Its first officers were Ellis Eves, William Burgess and John Richart. After an existence of ten years the interest had abated to such an extent that the charter was relinquished. Valley Grange, No, 52, is one of the oldest in the state. It was chartered with twenty members, February 4. 1874, having been organized the previous year. The library organized by the association comprises a number of judiciously selected works. The grange numbers one-hundred members, and exerts an influence in the direction of more general intelligence among the agricultural community.
J. P. Eves Post, No, 536, Grand Army of the Republic, was mustered September 3, 1886, by M. M. Brobst, A. D. C. as P. C., assisted by M. L. Wagenseller, of Post No, 148, Selinsgrove, William Mensch, T. F. Harder and J. M. Seitzenger, of Hoagland Post, No. 170, Catawissa. The following is a list of its members: James W. Eves, Henry J. Robbins, George W. Belig, B. F. Fisher, Isaac M. Lions, John Shaffer, J. C. Eves, W. G. Manning, Emanuel Bogart, Jacob Derr, Henry J. Applegate, John Thomas, D. F. Crawford, Charles M. Dodson, William L. Caslan, W. H. Hayman, Richard Kitchin, George W. Perkins, John Applegate, Harvey Smith, John Krepneck and John M. Mordan. [J. P. Eves, in whose honor the post has been named, was a member of Company I, One Hundred and Thirty-sixth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers. He was wounded at the battle of Fredericksburg and died in the field hospital. His remains found their last resting place in an unmarked grave on the banks of the Rappahannock.]
Greenwood township comprises, in addition to Millville, three villages of minor importance: Rohrsburg, Iola and Eyer's Grove. Rohrsburg is so named from Frederick Rohr, a Prussian who had fought against Bonaparte, and who secured the site of the town in 1825 from Samuel Sherts. It was included in one of the Chew surveys. In 1826 the wheel-right shop of Robert Campbell comprised all of the village that then existed. In 1828 Peter Venett opened a store in this shop, and, at a later date, Shoemaker and Rees became the second merchants of the place. Rohrsburg Grange, No. 108, was organized February 12, 1874 with 30 members. The report of its secretary for the quarter ending June 30, 1886, showed a membership of eighty-four. A commendable degree of energy is display in testing and discussing various methods of conducting farming operations.
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