Montour County Independence, May 3 1850

 

Stenciled on the side of a building a block away from the courthouse in Danville are the words "Montour County Independence Day, May 3 1850"

A cannon was hauled to the mountain overlooking Danville that day, fired off regularly in celebration.   After 5 long years, Danville had won, they were once again the county seat.  Even if they had to send their own resident to congress and have him make some deals to form  an entire new  county to make it happen.  

The courthouse in Danville, built in 1871

While the residents of the newly formed county celebrated, and Columbia County residents formed a committee to attempt a repeal - the rest of the Susquehanna Valley was just tired of Danville and Bloomsburg's bickering. 

"It is to be hoped the result may preserve the State from any further annoyance and loss in the prosecution of the thirty-five years contention between Danville and Bloom." - The Lewisburg Journal, May 1850

When Columbia County was established in 1813, Danville was the county seat.  Thirty two years later, in 1845, the county seat was moved to Bloomsburg.

According to the Bloomsburg newspapers, who were undoubtedly biased, this was because Danville could not raise the funds to improve their buildings.  The buildings were old, not fire proof, and in disrepair.  

"Since 1837, the buildings have grown more dilapidate and unfit for use.  There are no fire proofs to secure public documents from destruction. The court house is a brick erection nearly 40 years old.  The sheriff's house is unfit for use and the Jail is indifferent as regards to arrangements for safety and comfort."

Danville residents, at least a few prominent ones,  were not happy.  Those residents then demanded that Columbia County be divided. 

 Valentine Best, publisher of the Danville Intelligencer, was elected to State Senate, with the mission of creating a new county for Danville.  To do so involved some shady political maneuvering. 

The Northumberland County Democrat in an 1890 article summarized:

"...Senator Valentine Best, who had just taken the new county of Montour by Columbia with a coalition with the Whigs, was one of the most exciting episode of Pennsylvania politics of the day.  Best had elected himself Speaker by his own vote, united with the Whigs of the Senate, and he thus effected the division of old Columbia."  

Under "Legacy" on the Senate library page for Senator Best, it reads

" Played an important and controversial role in the formation of Montour County, especially in the area including former parts of Columbia County and the retention of Danville as the new seat of Montour. Negotiated a deal with Senate Whigs, who voted for Montour bill, in trade for key committee seats, thus his political party blackballed from the party."

In PENNSYLVANIA A HISTORY  by  GEORGE P. DONEHOO, the events are  described in detail:

With his singular mission accomplished, Best soon resigned his seat on the Senate, and returned to his newspaper in Danville. [Note - some reports of his behavior on that notorious day refer to his confusion and shaky speech.   Best died 7 years later, at age 57, and one can't help but wonder if his resignation was not merely because he had "accomplished his singular mission" but perhaps also due to health issues.]

"In his attempts to address the Senate, he shook like a reed in the wind - his words were broken and interrupted, like the accents of a man in despair, and void of the energy suitable to the occasion.  Ah, is it not to be wondered that he trembled.  He had just perpetrated a most dastardly and villainous act, by turning traitor to those who had elected him..."

The Lewisburg Journal summarized the new county:  

 "The Governor having signed the bill to divide Columbia county, this new county will organize by the election of its officers next fail. Montour county comprises Danville, Anthony, Derry, Limestone, Liberty, Mahoning, Franklin, about half of Madison and of Roaring creek, and about a third of Montour and Hemlock or the Southern half of Columbia county.

 It is a narrow strip probably the smallest county in the State - but rich, and with the energy of Danville (its seat of justice) will make a respectable county. The old County Buildings will doubtless answer for a time  as well as new. 

The number of Taxables in Montour is about 2500, leaving 4100 in Columbia.

 It is to be hoped the result may preserve the State from any further annoyance and loss in the prosecution of the thirty-five years contention between Danville and Bloom." - The Lewisburg Journal, May 1850

Why is this written on this particular building?  Located across the road behind the  Courthouse, at the corner of Rooney Ave & West Friendship Alley.

Columbia county did make an attempt at repeal, but in the end, decided they were just tired of the fight.  "A wearied legislature eventually yielded its scruples, Columbia was sacrificed, and appointment passed, an adjournment effected."

The Montour County Courthouse was built in 1871. Located  at 253 Mill St., Danville,  it was designed by Charles Wetzel.  The building features quoins, brackets, arched windows and a cupola of the Italianate style.  Postcards creatively depict the building in a variety of colors, although I found no evidence that the color of the building has ever changed.

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Best died 7 years later, in 1857, at the age of 57

The street lights were installed beginning in 1923 

Census Of Montour & Columbia Counties

December 1850

With notes on township changes over the years.

"Mr, David Evans, a Democratic member of the last legislature from Montgomery co., has published a defense of his vote for the apportionment bill in reply to Mr. Porter, of Northampton, and in speaking of Best and Montour county he says :

"Therefore, such being truly the case, it behooved the democratic members to be on the look out in time, and one feature of events was to prevent the passage of the bill erecting Montour county, which being the body and soul of the democracy and whigism of the said Speaker of the Senate, so elected by the whigs. The Montour county bill was passed at an early period in the Senate, and came into the House. At that time the said member from Northampton, proclaimed that the Montour county bill should not pass until the apportionment bill was passed and signed by the Governor. The same being considered the proper course by myself and others, and calculated so to remain : but in the course of events the member from Northampton was called to plead a case in court at Bloomsburg, from or near Danville, and on his return his tales as to tho passage of the Montour county bill were much changed, and then urged tho passage of the bill.

— Therefore, through the influence of the said member, and a few others of the democratic party who wont with the whigs, except five, who, holding views beyond that of passing such disgraceful acts as Montour county for party purposes. 

Whereas said bill could never have received more than twenty votes in the House if party measures had not made it an object of the kind. The saith Northampton member well knows that the passage of the Montour county bill left Speaker Best, of the Senate, at liberty to pay his debt of bargain and sale to the whig party, of which he could not otherwise have done

 Then it became necessary to be watchful of more than Best, and the Senate alone. The talents of the member from Northampton, as an able lawyer, is not to be doubted—but the lack of precaution and care, without forethought of mind, makes him an uncertain and doubtful leader in the democratic ranks." 

Mr. Evans no doubt acted honestly in his vote for the appropriation bill, and he is not the only member who was driven by circumstances to vote against his convictions of right.

 It was notorious at Harrisburg that Best declared if the Democrats were not satisfied with the apportionment bill as it passed, they should have a worse one. The session had been protracted until many members were threatened with indignation meetings at home if they did not pass some kind of an apportionment bill and end the session.

It was known that Best had sold himself to the whig on the apportionment bill, and no democrat had any hope in that direction.

 In the Senate then no decent bill for the Democrats could pass; and hence a vote in the House was only a choice of evils. It was with this view that Mr. Evans and a few other democrats voted for the bill. He, for example, is an honest and radical democrat, and this vote of his must therefore be taken cum grano. If every democrat has been as upright as Evans in refusing to pass the Montour bill, Best would never have acquired the influence which he exercised for mischief on the apportionment bill as it passed, but to do justice to the motives of a man honest, though he may have been mistaken" - Star Of The North, Bloomsburg, June 1850