rdunkelb
Wed, 04/17/2024 - 14:15
Edited Text
This tallk was given at the Col. C. Hist. & Gen. Society’s fall dinner on November 9, 2002. Much of the basic content comes from the talk
given at the Brass Pelican on April 15, 2002. New material was added to the first part dealing with Danville’s role in advocating a new county
and some minor revisions in the Brass Pelican talk.
T H E R EM O V AL I S S U E:
B l o o ms b u r g ’s P o l i t i c a l S t r u g g l e t o R e p l a c e Da n v i l l e
a s t h e C o u n t y S e a t o f C o l u mb i a C o u n t y
I. The Pennsylvania Legislature in 1813 passed a bill, signed into law by the Governor
Simon Snyder on March 22, 1813, establishing Columbia County. The area that
constituted Columbia County came from Northumberland County and officially came
into existence on Septem-ber 6, 1813. Columbia County courts opened on March 7,
1814.
A. The establishment of Columbia County was not something that was simply a
serendipity event. It was not an unexpected development. It was not like one
day a group of legislators decided, lets create a new county on the North
Branch of the Susquehanna River.
1.
The inspiration, the drive, or force behind the creation of Columbia
County came from promoters in Danville. It was the Danvillians
who promoted the idea to serve their own particular interests.
a.
Those who back the proposal were also advocates of a
turnpike from Bear Gap to Danville, and which was to
end there.
b.
At the same time these proponents were also engaged
in buying land in and about Danville. They saw the
opportunity for real estate speculation.
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2.
It was widely believed that unless the campaigners for the new
county had not been confident of having the courthouse in
Danville, they would never have petitioned for a new county.
a.
One source described the backers for a new county as
“long headed, quick sighted men, possessing
influence, likely to succeed in their plans and never
would take so much trouble for nothing.”
b.
It was also widely believed that citizens living in area
along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, in
the townships of Turbut and Chillisquaque, would
never have supported the idea of having Bloomsburg
to be the county seat because it was too far away to
travel.
3.
In reviewing their petitions for a new county, they did not stated
that the county seat of government should be near the center of the
proposed county. Nor did they state that it should be in Danville.
Purposely, it was left undecided.
B.
The county’s boundaries in 1813 constituted a much larger county than what
exists today. Initially, the county had 810 square miles; today it has only 500
square miles, 38% smaller than in 1813.
1.
The county’s western boundary in 1813 extended to the west
branch of the Susquehanna River and included the townships of
Chillisquaque and Turbot.
2.
This would be an area running along the river a few miles south of
Muncy to about five miles north of Northumberland. Included in
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this territory are the present day towns of Turbotville,
McEwensville, Montandon, Milton, Pottsgrove, and Watsontown.
3.
The distance from Columbia County’s eastern boundary, Berwick
area, to furthermost point west would be approximately 34.7 miles
as the crow flies.
4.
The northern boundary was near Elk Grove running east to into
what is today Fairmount Township for a distance of about five
miles. The northeastern boundary included a part of what is today
Fairmount Township in Luzerne County.
5.
Southern boundaries were more similar than dissimilar to the
present day boundaries – with one exception. Southeast corner
included the area around Ringtown.
6.
The key point to remember about the initial size of Columbia
County was that it extended west to West Branch of the
Susquehanna River.
C. One of the important tasks that had to be done in creating a new county was to
choose the site of the county seat of govern-ment.
1.
The act creating the county stipulated that the governor was to
appoint three “discreet and disinterested persons, not residents of
Northumberland, Union, and Columbia Counties . . . to fix upon a
proper and convenient site for a courthouse, prison and county
offices . . . as near as the center [ of the county] as the situation
thereof will admit.”
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2.
The County Seat Commission, with only two of the three members
participating, picked Danville to be the county seat.
3.
The decision was based on the following factors:
a.
Danville was the largest town in the county on the
north side of the Susquehanna River. It was laid out
in 1792.
b.
Remembering, that Columbia County’s western
boundary extended to the West Branch of the
Susquehanna River - Danville was partially half way
between Berwick in the east and area below
Montandon in the west.
•
Danville was 21.5 miles west of Berwick,
the eastern boundary, and 13.5 miles east of
the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.
•
Danville was much closer to the population
base of the county.
4.
The opponents to Danville being the county seat, began sending
petitions to the legislature as early as 1814 asking for the removal
of the county seat from Danville to Bloomsburg. There were
nineteen petitions signed by 1,046 citizens “praying for the
removal of the seat of justice to Bloomsburg.” They advanced the
following points:
a.
Danville was not an appropriate location since it was
too far to the western edge of the county.
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b.
Instead, the county seat should be in Bloomsburg
since it was more centrally located in the county.
c.
The petitioners asserted that Bloomsburg in close
proximity to the river and situated on Fishing Creek, a
pure and navigable stream of water, was a more
desirable site.
II. The selection of Danville was controversial.
A. The people in Bloomsburg and in the eastern townships suspected there was
some kind of political deal that gave Danville the county seat.
1.
Their suspicious surfaced when it was known that the citizens of
Chillisquaque and Turbot Townships were not in favor of being
separated from Northumberland County.
2.
The legislature in May 1815, passed two bills that reduced the size
of Columbia County.
a.
Fairmount township was transferred to Luzerne
County – lost of 30 square miles.
b.
Most importantly, the townships of Turbot and
Chillisquaque on western edge of the county reverted
to Northumberland County – a lost of 140 square
miles.
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c.
This moved the Columbia County’s western boundary
back from the West Branch of the Susquehanna River
around 10 miles to the east.
d.
These two events reduced the size of Columbia
County to 640 square miles from 810 square miles – a
reduction of 21%.
3.
John G. Freeze, the author of History of Columbia County
Pennsylvania, “the prompt re-annexation of the two townships of
Chillisquaque and Turbut . . . provoked a spirit of indignation and
opposition in the upper part of the county.”
4.
Specifically, the return of these two townships led many to believe
that Danville secured the country seat by unfair means.
B.
Consequently, there emerge a genera; feeling of dissatisfaction in the
townships east of Danville.
1.
John Freeze made the following charge: “There can be no
doubt that the townships of Chillisqua-que and Turbot
were originally incorporated into Columbia County in
order to secure the location of the county buildings at
Danville.”
2.
Danville was now only 3 miles from the county’s western
boundary, clearly it was not near center of the county as before.
3. When the legislature in 1815 moved western boundary eastward, it
brought forth twenty more petitions asking the legislature to make
Bloomsburg county seat.
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a.
Bloomsburg was 16 plus miles from the western
boundary and 12 plus miles from the eastern
boundary.
b.
Whereas, Danville was 3 plus miles from the western
boundary and 21 plus miles from the eastern
boundary.
c.
However, the legislature refused to endorse the
removal position.
d.
The next year, 1816, the advocates of Bloomsburg
were encouraged when a legislative committee
recommended that citizens of the county be given an
opportunity to vote in a referendum on removing the
county seat.
e.
However, it did not materialize since the legislature
refused to endorse the proposal.
III. Why did the legislature ignore the petitions calling for the removal of the country seat
from Danville to Bloomsburg and the legislative committee’s endorsement of
referendum on the issue?
A. The reason was due, in part, from an adjustment of the western boundary of
Columbia County in 1816. Parts of Chillisquaque and Turbot townships were
detached from Northumberland County and annexed to Columbia County.
1.
This action created the Townships of Limestone and Liberty.
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2.
By making western boundary 9 miles rather than 3 miles west of
Danville. It was an effort to undercut the charge that Danville was
not centrally located in the Columbia County.
B.
The citizens of Danville basically hammered home two argu-ments: they were
larger community than Bloomsburg, and Danville had been chosen by the
governor’s site commission in 1813.
IV. The removal issue subsided for a few years until 1821 when it again became a dominant
political issue. At this time the legislature received 31 petitions asking for removal of
the county seat to Bloomsburg. However, to counter this request, the legislature
received 29 remonstrances opposing any removal.
A. The Danville newspaper, The Republican Press, printed a number of letters
signed anonymously, Friend, that identified various issues in the removal
debate.
1.
Clearly, Danville did not want to lose the county seat for obvious
economic reasons. There would be a lost of business activity and
the feeling that property values would drop.
2.
Again, a major argument for removal centered on the issue of
having the county seat centrally located in the county, and
Bloomsburg met this objective more so than Danville.
3.
The distance from the western edge of the county to Bloomsburg
was nearly the same distance as the eastern edge to Danville. This
was not true.
a.
Danville was approximately 21 miles from Berwick.
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b.
Bloomsburg was approximately 16.5 miles from the
western boundary
4.
Danville supporters argued that the 1,500 people who signed the
removal petitions did not constitute a majority of the 3,400 taxable
inhabitants in the county. There were 1,300 who signed the
remonstrances.
B.
To counter the Danville arguments, attention was drawn to the county
buildings, which were in such a poor state of repair; an individual wrote: “The
jail falling down not capable of holding a prisoner. The court house built as if
it had been a child’s play house made of cards; a few years, and not a vestige
of them will remain.”
1.
A number of prominent Bloomsburg citizens signed a bond
pledging to secure the needed funds for new county buildings if the
county seat were removed to Bloomsburg. A much improved
courthouse and prison paid for by private funds would eliminate a
tax burden on the people.
2.
There was the argument that it was only a matter of time when the
population in the northern part of the county, the Fishing Creek
Valley and the eastern townships, shall increase to such a point that
it will out number of residents in and around Danville. Therefore,
why postpone the inevitable when the evidence for removal will be
so overwhelming.
3.
The advocates for removal argued that with the county seat in
Bloomsburg would stimulate the economic growth of upper part of
the county – the Fishing Creek Valley.
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a.
Specifically, it was felt that if the county seat were in
Bloomsburg, a turnpike would be established to link
the town with to the turnpike between Berwick and
Towanda. This development would open up internal
communication and trade.
b.
In addition, why should only the four western
townships in the county have all the advantages of
markets while the remaining nine townships remain
economically deprived.
c.
Should not the county town seat be to the benefit of
the entire county or is it only to benefit the ambitions
of few greedy individuals?
d.
Friend, the letter writer, declared: “It is not the rich
speculator, the lawyer, or the public officer, that
constitutes the pride and wealth of the county, but the
industrious laborers, hard working farmer who make it
respectable.”
C.
Despite the concerted efforts and the large number of petitions with around
1,500 signatures for the removal proposition and the various arguments
supporting it, the legislature committee that addressed this issue rejected the
idea of removing the county seat from Danville on December 7, 1821.
D. After this defeat of the removal issue, twelve years would lapse before it
would come again to the legislature in 1833.
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V. However, the issue was far from being resolved nor did it disappear from county
politics.
A. John Freeze wrote: the removal issue was a “. . . subject of constant anxiety
within the county, and has always had a controlling influence in the election of
members of Assembly and county offices.”
B.
The grand jury in its report to the court in 1833 noted that the county records
were vulnerable to destruction due the inadequate conditions in the
courthouse. Specifically, there were no fireproof offices and which they
recommended should be immediately corrected.
C.
The grand jury’s recommendation revived the public debate over the remove
issue. There existed in the upper portions of the county a strong feeling
against spending any tax funds on what was perceived as an inadequate
courthouse. Instead, money should be used to build a new courthouse in
Bloomsburg.
1.
Again, removal petitions were widely circulated and Isaac Kline,
Columbia County’s representative in the General Assembly,
submitted thirty-four petitions in 1833 asking the county seat be
removed from Danville to Bloomsburg.
2.
However, there were forty-one remonstrances against the removal.
3.
The revival of the removal question basically reiterated the
previous issues raised in the debate.
4.
Bills were introduced in both the house and senate of the state
legislature. Only the senate bill came to a vote but it was defeated
by 15 to 11.
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D. This practice of submitting petitions and remonstrances to the legislature on
the removing issue was again repeated in 1835. As in the past, the General
Assembly refused to enact any legislation removing the county seat of
government from Danville to Bloomsburg.
E.
However, the issue would not go away. In 1837 three different grand juries
addressed the issue that the courthouse lack of fireproof offices to protect
country records.
1.
The county commissioners were under pressure form the Danville
supporters to build a new courthouse. Their refusal to do so, was a
disappointment to the Danville people.
2.
If a new courthouse had been built, it would have created a strong
argument against removing the courthouse to Bloomsburg after the
expenditure county funds.
3.
The Columbia Democrat, a Bloomsburg newspaper, rejoiced over
the decision not to build a new court-house in Danville
complemented the commissioners on their stand.
VI. The next major development in the pro and anti-removal campaign centered on the role
of Daniel Snyder of Bloomsburg, Columbia County’s representative in the General
Assembly.
A. Snyder came to Bloomsburg in 1810 from Northampton County and soon built
a tannery near the intersection of what is today North Street and Lightstreet
Road.
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1.
Later, he opened the Forks Hotel at the base of College Hill. He
was one of Bloomsburg’s very successful businessmen.
2.
He was Democrat, a pro-removal man, and served four one-year
terms in the General Assembly during the years of 1841 to 1844.
B.
In the fall election of 1842 for the General Assembly, Snyder’s opponent was
Richard Fruit from Madison Township.
1.
The contest was not along party lines. But instead, the
overwhelming issue in the election focused on relocat-ing the
country seat of government. The choices were “pro-removal” and
“anti-removal.”
2.
Fruit declared he would vote against a removal of the county seat
of government from Danville to Blooms-burg, should the issue
come before the legislature.” Snyder’s record was clearly in favor
of removal.
a.
One could easily describe election as a removal
referendum.
b.
Throughout the county, public meetings, referred to as
“removal meetings,” were held in various townships
such as Roaring Creek, Bloom, Hemlock, Brier Creek,
Madison and Catawissa.
3.
Snyder easily won a decisive victory over his opponent, Fruit, by
capturing 60% of the votes.
4.
Bloom Township and the 5 northern townships strongly supported
Snyder’s election:
14
Snyder
Bloom
370
3
Sugarloaf
180
4
52
0
Fishing Creek
143
2
Orange
164
24
Greenwood
218
7
1127
40
Jackson
TOTAL
5.
Fruit
97%
3%
As would be expected, 64% of Fruit’s votes came from five
townships around Danville: Mahoning, Valley, Limestone,
Liberty, and Derry. In these same townships, Snyder received only
0.4% of total votes.
C.
In his second term, Snyder received numerous removal petitions signed by
2,786 citizens while the number of signatures attached to the various
remonstrances came to 1,500.
D. As expected, he introduced a bill in the House in 1843 for removing the county
seat from Danville to Bloomsburg. However, this bill failed to pass.
E.
Not to be discouraged, Snyder introduced a second removal bill in the same
session that called for a referendum by which the people of the county could
vote whether or not to remove the county seat to Bloomsburg.
1.
House narrowly passed the bill by a vote of 40 to 37.
2.
However, when the bill went to the Senate it never came up for a
vote.
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3.
Snyder attributed its defeat in the Senate due to the “influence of
the Danville interest that was so powerful that our friends in that
body deemed it advisable not to proceed to its consideration.”
4.
In addition, state Senator Samuel F. Headley, who was from
Berwick, opposed the removal bill, and was seen as doing the
bidding for the Danville faction.
F.
Snyder in 1843 reintroduce the removal bill for the third time in the House and
it easily passed but only to go down in defeat in the Senate in again.
1.
As before, Snyder attributed the bill’s defeat in the Senate to the
intense lobbying efforts by the Danville faction.
2.
He later wrote that: “misrepresentations of the grossest character,
particularly as to the feeling and wishes of the people of Columbia
County were made use of by the opponents of the bill to effect is
defeat.”
G. During this effort to get the removal bill passed, there occurred a very
interesting political maneuver by Senator Headley, from Berwick, who was
allied to the interests of the Danville.
1.
He introduced a bill to create a new county, Madison, erected from
parts of Columbia and Luzerne counties. The proposed county of
Madison would have included the following areas:
a.
The townships of Sugarloaf, Fishingcreek, Orange,
with half of Briarcreek, two-thirds of Mifflin, and the
eastern half of Bloom. This amounted to about onethird of Columbia County’s area.
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b.
The other townships would come from the lower end
of Luzerne County such as Fairmount, Huntington,
Salem, and Nescopeck.
c.
Berwick was to be the county seat.
d.
Headley, an attorney, had substantial real estate
holdings in Berwick. The 1850 census listed the value
at $46,000.
e.
Headley stood to make a great deal of money if
Berwick became the county seat of proposed Madison
County.
f.
This was an important political maneuver on the part
of Danville. If successful, this probably would have
ensured Danville’s retention of the county seat – since
Bloomsburg could not longer claim that it was more
centrally located than Danville.
2.
None of these townships supported the creation of Madison
County. Specifically, the Columbia County people saw it as
making the county.
3.
The townships in the Fishing Creek Valley were linked to
Bloomsburg – not to Berwick.
4.
The Madison County bill passed the Senate by a narrow vote of
fifteen to thirteen.
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5.
In House, Daniel Snyder and H. B. Wright of Luzerne County lead
the fight that decisively defeated it on April 17, 1843, by a vote of
49 to 26.
H. Snyder re-elected to this fourth term in the House, again, re-introduced his
“removal bill” – which easily passed by a large margin, 65 to 28 in 1844.
1.
However, as in the past, the Senate refused to pass the removal bill.
2.
One might think that Snyder would have been discouraged by the
failure to get the measure passed in the Senate.
3.
He was not! Instead, each time the measure came up it garnered
more support. Initially, the bill lost by some twenty votes and on
his last effort in 1844 it only failed by four votes.
4.
Snyder felt that in the 1845 legislative session the removal bill
would surely pass. His optimism was based in part of the fact that
eight of the senators who voted against it, their term of office
expired at the end of 1844.
VII. The October election in 1844 for the House and Senate was crucial for the removal
movement.
A. Snyder decided not to run again as did Headley.
B.
The removal forces were successful in electing their candidates: Thomas A.
Funston, a Democrat and a farmer from the Jerseytown area, to the General
Assembly. William S. Ross of Luzerne County won the Senate seat.
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C.
Thomas Funston on January 13, 1845, introduced the removal bill into the
House and it easily passed on January 30 and was referred to the Senate
February 3.
1.
As expected, the bill encountered opposition.
2.
The anti-removal faction realizing they could not defeat the bill
sought to amend it.
3.
First, since the bill called for a countywide referendum on whether
or not to move the county seat to Blooms-burg, oppononets
proposed a super majority of 60% for approval. The amendment
was voted down.
4.
A second amendment proposed that for the removal to pass it
would have to have 500 votes majority; this was also defeated.
5.
By mid-February the bill passed the Senate by a vote of nineteen to
thirteen. Governor Francis signed it into law on February 24, 1845.
D. The Columbia Democrat, a Bloomsburg newspaper, commented on the bill
passage:
1.
“The enemies of the bill fought it with unwearing desperation in all
the stages of its passage through both house, but all in vain.”
2.
“This long agitated question is now about to be settled in
accordance with justice and the wishes of the people of Columbia
County.
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E.
As might be expected, the editor of the Danville Intelligencer, Valentine Best,
was critical of the legislature’s decision to authorize a referendum on the
removal issue.
1.
“The legislature . . . [has] thrown the responsibility of deciding the
question upon the people – a bare majority to effect, or prevent a
removal.
2.
It is an act that may serve as a precedent for much mischief and
unjust legislation of this kind, as there are many counties in the
state where a bare majority would authorize a removal. In this
county we confidently anticipate that the verdict will be against a
removal.”
VIII. The following were the key provisions of the removal law:
A. The referendum shall be held at the time of general elections, October 14,
1845; only a simple majority was necessary to approve the removal of the
county seat to Bloomsburg.
B.
For an individual to be eligible to vote the person had to reside in the county
for at least six months before the election.
A. If the voters approve removing the county seat to Bloomsburg, then the
citizens of Bloomsburg were responsible for providing the necessary funds for
one acre of land and erecting the new county buildings -- courthouse, prison
and sheriff house. No cost to the taxpayers!
B.
It shall be lawful to solicit subscriptions from the citizens of Bloomsburg to
pay for the costs of the new county buildings.
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C.
County buildings are to be constructed either of brick or stone.
F.
The removing the county seat must be completed within three years.
G. The old county buildings in Danville will become the property of Mahoning
Township.
IX. What were the various factors that gave Bloomsburg an advantage in the winning
removal referendum vote?
A. County seat will be located near to the geographic center of the county.
1.
The citizens of the eastern and northern townships would save
many miles and much traveling time when they had to go to the
courthouse.
2.
Correct a situation in which it was widely believed that Danville
became the county seat by deception and fraud.
B.
Replace old and inadequate courthouse and jail in need of extensive repairs,
with new and fire proof buildings at no cost to the taxpayers. The land will
also be donated to the county.
C.
The population advantage clearly favored the pro-removal movement. Based
on 1840 census information, the five townships near Danville, Mahoning,
Valley, Derry, Liberty, and Limestone, had only 28% of the eligible voters in
the county.
D. By having a referendum it gave the citizens the right to decide the issue rather
than leaving to the politicians in the legislature.
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E.
If Bloomsburg becomes the county seat, the law was very fair and generous in
allowing Mahoning Township to regain the original outlay for the county
buildings.
F.
Danville supporters were viewed as wanting to dismember the county in order
to keep the county seat of government.
X. The removal referendum vote:
A. The removal faction easily won an overwhelming referendum victory,
receiving 65% of the votes.
B. There were six townships that voted for Danville: Mahoning, Derry, Liberty,
Valley, Limestone, and Briarcreek (voted 58% against removal). Briarcreek
was closely identified with the division issue.
C.
There was only one other township, Franklin, that had a sizeable anti-removal
faction, which cast 40% of the votes against removal.
XI. The immediate task facing now facing Bloomsburg was to raise the necessary money
for erecting the courthouse, jail, and the sheriff house.
A. It was a well established fact that the leadership in Bloomsburg was
committed to raising the necessary funds to relocate the county government to
Bloomsburg.
B.
A little more than two weeks after the election, a committee of citizens chaired
by Dr. John Ramsay met on November 1, 1845, and assumed the
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responsibility of organizing the project and raising the money to build the new
country buildings.
C.
One of its first acts was to appoint a committee of five individuals, Jacob Eyer,
merchant, Daniel Snyder, former state representative, William McKelvy,
businessman, Leonard B. Rupert, former county treasurer, and Dr. John
Ramsay, to raise funds for the new country buildings.
D. Elisha H. Biggs, who ran a hotel across the street from the proposed
courthouse and William Robison, had operated a hotel on the northwest corner
of Second and Center Streets, provided the lots for the courthouse site, each
accepting a token payment of one dollar.
E.
Through the assistance of Rev. David J. Waller, the committee secured the
services of Napoleon LeBrun, a Philadelphia architect, to design a brick
courthouse in an Ionic style. Specifications for the courthouse were advertised
in the local newspapers in February 1846, with March 17 deadline for
receiving bids.
1.
The courthouse was fifty by sixty feet, exclusive of a front portico,
supported by six white columns, and with a steeple that rose eighty
feet above the ground. The new courthouse was one-third larger
than the old one.
2.
A flight of fourteen steps led to a vestibule that opened into a large
courtroom that had a balcony. The offices of the county officials
were in the building’s lower level.
3.
The contract for its construction was awarded to George Mears of
Franklin Township in early April.
4.
The cornerstone, laid on August 14, 1846, held a box containing a
brief history of the county, transactions related to the removal, list
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of financial contributors, list of county officials, and official returns
of the removal referendum.
F.
The site for the jail and the sheriff’s house was on the southwest corner of
First and Center Streets. The construction contract was awarded on October
31, 1846.
XII. There emerged a problem in financing all the costs in relocating the county seat.
Through private subscriptions, $11,000 had been raised for erecting the buildings;
however, this amount was less than what was needed to complete the project.
A. Not only was this a financial problem, it was also a political problem. The
removal law stipulated that the entire expense for erecting the county
buildings was to come from private funds, not tax funds.
B.
In addition, the campaign for removing the county seat from Danville to
Bloomsburg was sold, in part, on the grounds there would be no cost to the
taxpayers.
C.
It was decided that the Bloomsburg building committee, county commissions,
and the grand jury would jointly submit a memorial to the legislature asking it
to permit the county commissioners to spend up to $2,500 of tax funds to
complete the courthouse.
D. The justifications for the request were the following:
1.
The Removal Law stipulated that the construction of the buildings
was to be under the direction of the county commissioners.
2.
The county commissioners directed the building committee to
include in the courthouse three substantial fire proof vaults.
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However, the removal law did not require them to be built by
subscriptions.
a.
This addition was essential for protection of county
records.
b.
Furthermore, it would cost far more to install the fire
proof vaults at a later time than when the building was
under construction.
3.
In addition, a portico for the front entrance to the courthouse,
supported by six columns, floor and steps of cut stone, was added.
4.
Funds were needed to furnish the courthouse.
5.
It was also noted that the citizens had contributed liberally and that
the courthouse was more commodious, substantial and beautiful
than the old courthouse at Danville.
6.
There was the argument that if the removal proposal had been
defeated, that new county buildings would have been built at
Danville to replace the old ones and paid for by tax money.
E.
Not surprising -- the Danville people through remonstrances to the legislature
and in the columns of the Danville Intelligencer strongly objected to
commissioners be allowed to spend tax money to complete the courthouse.
1.
They argued that the Bloomsburg leaders made a pledge to the
public in a written and published handbill that county buildings
would be erected at Bloomsburg without any expenses to the
people of the county.
2.
In addition, they claimed the removal law required the Bloomsburg
citizens to build the new county buildings at their own expense.
25
3.
Specifically, the provision in the law that referred “to the safe
keeping of the country records” would imply fire proof vaults.
4.
Danville contended that if this measure is past, there will be more
raids on the county treasury.
F.
Despite Danville’s protests the bill easily passed the legislature with the
Governor Shunk signing it into law on March 3, 1847.
XIII. Nearly two years and one and half months after the voters approved the removal the
county seat of government from Danville to Bloomsburg, the courthouse opened its
doors for business on November 30, 1847, and the first court session occurred on
January 17, 1848. From the viewpoint of a majority of Columbia County citizens
after thirty some years, the injustice of having the county seat in Danville was finally
corrected.
XIV. In 1850 Governor Johnson sign legislation that took 22% of Columbia County’s
territory to create Montour County.
A. It included the townships of Franklin, Mahoning, Valley, Liberty,
Limestone, Derry, Anthony, and parts of Montour, Hemlock,
Roaringcreek, and Madison townships.
B.
Charles R. Buckalew was elected Senator to represent Columbia County
and he introduced a bill to repeal the creation of Montour County in 1851.
It failed by one one.
26
C.
However, Buckalew was successful in 1853 to get legislation passed and
signed by the Governor Bigler, a Democrat, to returning parts of
Roaringcreek, Franklin, Madison and West Hemlock to Columbia.
D. This left Montour County with only 130 square miles of territory, and
smallest size county in the state.
E.
According to the 2000 census Montour is fourth smallest county in
population in the state.
4th Montour
18,262
3th Potter
18,080
2nd Sullivan
6,556
1st Forrest
4,946
Columbia County population – 64,151
given at the Brass Pelican on April 15, 2002. New material was added to the first part dealing with Danville’s role in advocating a new county
and some minor revisions in the Brass Pelican talk.
T H E R EM O V AL I S S U E:
B l o o ms b u r g ’s P o l i t i c a l S t r u g g l e t o R e p l a c e Da n v i l l e
a s t h e C o u n t y S e a t o f C o l u mb i a C o u n t y
I. The Pennsylvania Legislature in 1813 passed a bill, signed into law by the Governor
Simon Snyder on March 22, 1813, establishing Columbia County. The area that
constituted Columbia County came from Northumberland County and officially came
into existence on Septem-ber 6, 1813. Columbia County courts opened on March 7,
1814.
A. The establishment of Columbia County was not something that was simply a
serendipity event. It was not an unexpected development. It was not like one
day a group of legislators decided, lets create a new county on the North
Branch of the Susquehanna River.
1.
The inspiration, the drive, or force behind the creation of Columbia
County came from promoters in Danville. It was the Danvillians
who promoted the idea to serve their own particular interests.
a.
Those who back the proposal were also advocates of a
turnpike from Bear Gap to Danville, and which was to
end there.
b.
At the same time these proponents were also engaged
in buying land in and about Danville. They saw the
opportunity for real estate speculation.
2
2.
It was widely believed that unless the campaigners for the new
county had not been confident of having the courthouse in
Danville, they would never have petitioned for a new county.
a.
One source described the backers for a new county as
“long headed, quick sighted men, possessing
influence, likely to succeed in their plans and never
would take so much trouble for nothing.”
b.
It was also widely believed that citizens living in area
along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, in
the townships of Turbut and Chillisquaque, would
never have supported the idea of having Bloomsburg
to be the county seat because it was too far away to
travel.
3.
In reviewing their petitions for a new county, they did not stated
that the county seat of government should be near the center of the
proposed county. Nor did they state that it should be in Danville.
Purposely, it was left undecided.
B.
The county’s boundaries in 1813 constituted a much larger county than what
exists today. Initially, the county had 810 square miles; today it has only 500
square miles, 38% smaller than in 1813.
1.
The county’s western boundary in 1813 extended to the west
branch of the Susquehanna River and included the townships of
Chillisquaque and Turbot.
2.
This would be an area running along the river a few miles south of
Muncy to about five miles north of Northumberland. Included in
3
this territory are the present day towns of Turbotville,
McEwensville, Montandon, Milton, Pottsgrove, and Watsontown.
3.
The distance from Columbia County’s eastern boundary, Berwick
area, to furthermost point west would be approximately 34.7 miles
as the crow flies.
4.
The northern boundary was near Elk Grove running east to into
what is today Fairmount Township for a distance of about five
miles. The northeastern boundary included a part of what is today
Fairmount Township in Luzerne County.
5.
Southern boundaries were more similar than dissimilar to the
present day boundaries – with one exception. Southeast corner
included the area around Ringtown.
6.
The key point to remember about the initial size of Columbia
County was that it extended west to West Branch of the
Susquehanna River.
C. One of the important tasks that had to be done in creating a new county was to
choose the site of the county seat of govern-ment.
1.
The act creating the county stipulated that the governor was to
appoint three “discreet and disinterested persons, not residents of
Northumberland, Union, and Columbia Counties . . . to fix upon a
proper and convenient site for a courthouse, prison and county
offices . . . as near as the center [ of the county] as the situation
thereof will admit.”
4
2.
The County Seat Commission, with only two of the three members
participating, picked Danville to be the county seat.
3.
The decision was based on the following factors:
a.
Danville was the largest town in the county on the
north side of the Susquehanna River. It was laid out
in 1792.
b.
Remembering, that Columbia County’s western
boundary extended to the West Branch of the
Susquehanna River - Danville was partially half way
between Berwick in the east and area below
Montandon in the west.
•
Danville was 21.5 miles west of Berwick,
the eastern boundary, and 13.5 miles east of
the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.
•
Danville was much closer to the population
base of the county.
4.
The opponents to Danville being the county seat, began sending
petitions to the legislature as early as 1814 asking for the removal
of the county seat from Danville to Bloomsburg. There were
nineteen petitions signed by 1,046 citizens “praying for the
removal of the seat of justice to Bloomsburg.” They advanced the
following points:
a.
Danville was not an appropriate location since it was
too far to the western edge of the county.
5
b.
Instead, the county seat should be in Bloomsburg
since it was more centrally located in the county.
c.
The petitioners asserted that Bloomsburg in close
proximity to the river and situated on Fishing Creek, a
pure and navigable stream of water, was a more
desirable site.
II. The selection of Danville was controversial.
A. The people in Bloomsburg and in the eastern townships suspected there was
some kind of political deal that gave Danville the county seat.
1.
Their suspicious surfaced when it was known that the citizens of
Chillisquaque and Turbot Townships were not in favor of being
separated from Northumberland County.
2.
The legislature in May 1815, passed two bills that reduced the size
of Columbia County.
a.
Fairmount township was transferred to Luzerne
County – lost of 30 square miles.
b.
Most importantly, the townships of Turbot and
Chillisquaque on western edge of the county reverted
to Northumberland County – a lost of 140 square
miles.
6
c.
This moved the Columbia County’s western boundary
back from the West Branch of the Susquehanna River
around 10 miles to the east.
d.
These two events reduced the size of Columbia
County to 640 square miles from 810 square miles – a
reduction of 21%.
3.
John G. Freeze, the author of History of Columbia County
Pennsylvania, “the prompt re-annexation of the two townships of
Chillisquaque and Turbut . . . provoked a spirit of indignation and
opposition in the upper part of the county.”
4.
Specifically, the return of these two townships led many to believe
that Danville secured the country seat by unfair means.
B.
Consequently, there emerge a genera; feeling of dissatisfaction in the
townships east of Danville.
1.
John Freeze made the following charge: “There can be no
doubt that the townships of Chillisqua-que and Turbot
were originally incorporated into Columbia County in
order to secure the location of the county buildings at
Danville.”
2.
Danville was now only 3 miles from the county’s western
boundary, clearly it was not near center of the county as before.
3. When the legislature in 1815 moved western boundary eastward, it
brought forth twenty more petitions asking the legislature to make
Bloomsburg county seat.
7
a.
Bloomsburg was 16 plus miles from the western
boundary and 12 plus miles from the eastern
boundary.
b.
Whereas, Danville was 3 plus miles from the western
boundary and 21 plus miles from the eastern
boundary.
c.
However, the legislature refused to endorse the
removal position.
d.
The next year, 1816, the advocates of Bloomsburg
were encouraged when a legislative committee
recommended that citizens of the county be given an
opportunity to vote in a referendum on removing the
county seat.
e.
However, it did not materialize since the legislature
refused to endorse the proposal.
III. Why did the legislature ignore the petitions calling for the removal of the country seat
from Danville to Bloomsburg and the legislative committee’s endorsement of
referendum on the issue?
A. The reason was due, in part, from an adjustment of the western boundary of
Columbia County in 1816. Parts of Chillisquaque and Turbot townships were
detached from Northumberland County and annexed to Columbia County.
1.
This action created the Townships of Limestone and Liberty.
8
2.
By making western boundary 9 miles rather than 3 miles west of
Danville. It was an effort to undercut the charge that Danville was
not centrally located in the Columbia County.
B.
The citizens of Danville basically hammered home two argu-ments: they were
larger community than Bloomsburg, and Danville had been chosen by the
governor’s site commission in 1813.
IV. The removal issue subsided for a few years until 1821 when it again became a dominant
political issue. At this time the legislature received 31 petitions asking for removal of
the county seat to Bloomsburg. However, to counter this request, the legislature
received 29 remonstrances opposing any removal.
A. The Danville newspaper, The Republican Press, printed a number of letters
signed anonymously, Friend, that identified various issues in the removal
debate.
1.
Clearly, Danville did not want to lose the county seat for obvious
economic reasons. There would be a lost of business activity and
the feeling that property values would drop.
2.
Again, a major argument for removal centered on the issue of
having the county seat centrally located in the county, and
Bloomsburg met this objective more so than Danville.
3.
The distance from the western edge of the county to Bloomsburg
was nearly the same distance as the eastern edge to Danville. This
was not true.
a.
Danville was approximately 21 miles from Berwick.
9
b.
Bloomsburg was approximately 16.5 miles from the
western boundary
4.
Danville supporters argued that the 1,500 people who signed the
removal petitions did not constitute a majority of the 3,400 taxable
inhabitants in the county. There were 1,300 who signed the
remonstrances.
B.
To counter the Danville arguments, attention was drawn to the county
buildings, which were in such a poor state of repair; an individual wrote: “The
jail falling down not capable of holding a prisoner. The court house built as if
it had been a child’s play house made of cards; a few years, and not a vestige
of them will remain.”
1.
A number of prominent Bloomsburg citizens signed a bond
pledging to secure the needed funds for new county buildings if the
county seat were removed to Bloomsburg. A much improved
courthouse and prison paid for by private funds would eliminate a
tax burden on the people.
2.
There was the argument that it was only a matter of time when the
population in the northern part of the county, the Fishing Creek
Valley and the eastern townships, shall increase to such a point that
it will out number of residents in and around Danville. Therefore,
why postpone the inevitable when the evidence for removal will be
so overwhelming.
3.
The advocates for removal argued that with the county seat in
Bloomsburg would stimulate the economic growth of upper part of
the county – the Fishing Creek Valley.
10
a.
Specifically, it was felt that if the county seat were in
Bloomsburg, a turnpike would be established to link
the town with to the turnpike between Berwick and
Towanda. This development would open up internal
communication and trade.
b.
In addition, why should only the four western
townships in the county have all the advantages of
markets while the remaining nine townships remain
economically deprived.
c.
Should not the county town seat be to the benefit of
the entire county or is it only to benefit the ambitions
of few greedy individuals?
d.
Friend, the letter writer, declared: “It is not the rich
speculator, the lawyer, or the public officer, that
constitutes the pride and wealth of the county, but the
industrious laborers, hard working farmer who make it
respectable.”
C.
Despite the concerted efforts and the large number of petitions with around
1,500 signatures for the removal proposition and the various arguments
supporting it, the legislature committee that addressed this issue rejected the
idea of removing the county seat from Danville on December 7, 1821.
D. After this defeat of the removal issue, twelve years would lapse before it
would come again to the legislature in 1833.
11
V. However, the issue was far from being resolved nor did it disappear from county
politics.
A. John Freeze wrote: the removal issue was a “. . . subject of constant anxiety
within the county, and has always had a controlling influence in the election of
members of Assembly and county offices.”
B.
The grand jury in its report to the court in 1833 noted that the county records
were vulnerable to destruction due the inadequate conditions in the
courthouse. Specifically, there were no fireproof offices and which they
recommended should be immediately corrected.
C.
The grand jury’s recommendation revived the public debate over the remove
issue. There existed in the upper portions of the county a strong feeling
against spending any tax funds on what was perceived as an inadequate
courthouse. Instead, money should be used to build a new courthouse in
Bloomsburg.
1.
Again, removal petitions were widely circulated and Isaac Kline,
Columbia County’s representative in the General Assembly,
submitted thirty-four petitions in 1833 asking the county seat be
removed from Danville to Bloomsburg.
2.
However, there were forty-one remonstrances against the removal.
3.
The revival of the removal question basically reiterated the
previous issues raised in the debate.
4.
Bills were introduced in both the house and senate of the state
legislature. Only the senate bill came to a vote but it was defeated
by 15 to 11.
12
D. This practice of submitting petitions and remonstrances to the legislature on
the removing issue was again repeated in 1835. As in the past, the General
Assembly refused to enact any legislation removing the county seat of
government from Danville to Bloomsburg.
E.
However, the issue would not go away. In 1837 three different grand juries
addressed the issue that the courthouse lack of fireproof offices to protect
country records.
1.
The county commissioners were under pressure form the Danville
supporters to build a new courthouse. Their refusal to do so, was a
disappointment to the Danville people.
2.
If a new courthouse had been built, it would have created a strong
argument against removing the courthouse to Bloomsburg after the
expenditure county funds.
3.
The Columbia Democrat, a Bloomsburg newspaper, rejoiced over
the decision not to build a new court-house in Danville
complemented the commissioners on their stand.
VI. The next major development in the pro and anti-removal campaign centered on the role
of Daniel Snyder of Bloomsburg, Columbia County’s representative in the General
Assembly.
A. Snyder came to Bloomsburg in 1810 from Northampton County and soon built
a tannery near the intersection of what is today North Street and Lightstreet
Road.
13
1.
Later, he opened the Forks Hotel at the base of College Hill. He
was one of Bloomsburg’s very successful businessmen.
2.
He was Democrat, a pro-removal man, and served four one-year
terms in the General Assembly during the years of 1841 to 1844.
B.
In the fall election of 1842 for the General Assembly, Snyder’s opponent was
Richard Fruit from Madison Township.
1.
The contest was not along party lines. But instead, the
overwhelming issue in the election focused on relocat-ing the
country seat of government. The choices were “pro-removal” and
“anti-removal.”
2.
Fruit declared he would vote against a removal of the county seat
of government from Danville to Blooms-burg, should the issue
come before the legislature.” Snyder’s record was clearly in favor
of removal.
a.
One could easily describe election as a removal
referendum.
b.
Throughout the county, public meetings, referred to as
“removal meetings,” were held in various townships
such as Roaring Creek, Bloom, Hemlock, Brier Creek,
Madison and Catawissa.
3.
Snyder easily won a decisive victory over his opponent, Fruit, by
capturing 60% of the votes.
4.
Bloom Township and the 5 northern townships strongly supported
Snyder’s election:
14
Snyder
Bloom
370
3
Sugarloaf
180
4
52
0
Fishing Creek
143
2
Orange
164
24
Greenwood
218
7
1127
40
Jackson
TOTAL
5.
Fruit
97%
3%
As would be expected, 64% of Fruit’s votes came from five
townships around Danville: Mahoning, Valley, Limestone,
Liberty, and Derry. In these same townships, Snyder received only
0.4% of total votes.
C.
In his second term, Snyder received numerous removal petitions signed by
2,786 citizens while the number of signatures attached to the various
remonstrances came to 1,500.
D. As expected, he introduced a bill in the House in 1843 for removing the county
seat from Danville to Bloomsburg. However, this bill failed to pass.
E.
Not to be discouraged, Snyder introduced a second removal bill in the same
session that called for a referendum by which the people of the county could
vote whether or not to remove the county seat to Bloomsburg.
1.
House narrowly passed the bill by a vote of 40 to 37.
2.
However, when the bill went to the Senate it never came up for a
vote.
15
3.
Snyder attributed its defeat in the Senate due to the “influence of
the Danville interest that was so powerful that our friends in that
body deemed it advisable not to proceed to its consideration.”
4.
In addition, state Senator Samuel F. Headley, who was from
Berwick, opposed the removal bill, and was seen as doing the
bidding for the Danville faction.
F.
Snyder in 1843 reintroduce the removal bill for the third time in the House and
it easily passed but only to go down in defeat in the Senate in again.
1.
As before, Snyder attributed the bill’s defeat in the Senate to the
intense lobbying efforts by the Danville faction.
2.
He later wrote that: “misrepresentations of the grossest character,
particularly as to the feeling and wishes of the people of Columbia
County were made use of by the opponents of the bill to effect is
defeat.”
G. During this effort to get the removal bill passed, there occurred a very
interesting political maneuver by Senator Headley, from Berwick, who was
allied to the interests of the Danville.
1.
He introduced a bill to create a new county, Madison, erected from
parts of Columbia and Luzerne counties. The proposed county of
Madison would have included the following areas:
a.
The townships of Sugarloaf, Fishingcreek, Orange,
with half of Briarcreek, two-thirds of Mifflin, and the
eastern half of Bloom. This amounted to about onethird of Columbia County’s area.
16
b.
The other townships would come from the lower end
of Luzerne County such as Fairmount, Huntington,
Salem, and Nescopeck.
c.
Berwick was to be the county seat.
d.
Headley, an attorney, had substantial real estate
holdings in Berwick. The 1850 census listed the value
at $46,000.
e.
Headley stood to make a great deal of money if
Berwick became the county seat of proposed Madison
County.
f.
This was an important political maneuver on the part
of Danville. If successful, this probably would have
ensured Danville’s retention of the county seat – since
Bloomsburg could not longer claim that it was more
centrally located than Danville.
2.
None of these townships supported the creation of Madison
County. Specifically, the Columbia County people saw it as
making the county.
3.
The townships in the Fishing Creek Valley were linked to
Bloomsburg – not to Berwick.
4.
The Madison County bill passed the Senate by a narrow vote of
fifteen to thirteen.
17
5.
In House, Daniel Snyder and H. B. Wright of Luzerne County lead
the fight that decisively defeated it on April 17, 1843, by a vote of
49 to 26.
H. Snyder re-elected to this fourth term in the House, again, re-introduced his
“removal bill” – which easily passed by a large margin, 65 to 28 in 1844.
1.
However, as in the past, the Senate refused to pass the removal bill.
2.
One might think that Snyder would have been discouraged by the
failure to get the measure passed in the Senate.
3.
He was not! Instead, each time the measure came up it garnered
more support. Initially, the bill lost by some twenty votes and on
his last effort in 1844 it only failed by four votes.
4.
Snyder felt that in the 1845 legislative session the removal bill
would surely pass. His optimism was based in part of the fact that
eight of the senators who voted against it, their term of office
expired at the end of 1844.
VII. The October election in 1844 for the House and Senate was crucial for the removal
movement.
A. Snyder decided not to run again as did Headley.
B.
The removal forces were successful in electing their candidates: Thomas A.
Funston, a Democrat and a farmer from the Jerseytown area, to the General
Assembly. William S. Ross of Luzerne County won the Senate seat.
18
C.
Thomas Funston on January 13, 1845, introduced the removal bill into the
House and it easily passed on January 30 and was referred to the Senate
February 3.
1.
As expected, the bill encountered opposition.
2.
The anti-removal faction realizing they could not defeat the bill
sought to amend it.
3.
First, since the bill called for a countywide referendum on whether
or not to move the county seat to Blooms-burg, oppononets
proposed a super majority of 60% for approval. The amendment
was voted down.
4.
A second amendment proposed that for the removal to pass it
would have to have 500 votes majority; this was also defeated.
5.
By mid-February the bill passed the Senate by a vote of nineteen to
thirteen. Governor Francis signed it into law on February 24, 1845.
D. The Columbia Democrat, a Bloomsburg newspaper, commented on the bill
passage:
1.
“The enemies of the bill fought it with unwearing desperation in all
the stages of its passage through both house, but all in vain.”
2.
“This long agitated question is now about to be settled in
accordance with justice and the wishes of the people of Columbia
County.
19
E.
As might be expected, the editor of the Danville Intelligencer, Valentine Best,
was critical of the legislature’s decision to authorize a referendum on the
removal issue.
1.
“The legislature . . . [has] thrown the responsibility of deciding the
question upon the people – a bare majority to effect, or prevent a
removal.
2.
It is an act that may serve as a precedent for much mischief and
unjust legislation of this kind, as there are many counties in the
state where a bare majority would authorize a removal. In this
county we confidently anticipate that the verdict will be against a
removal.”
VIII. The following were the key provisions of the removal law:
A. The referendum shall be held at the time of general elections, October 14,
1845; only a simple majority was necessary to approve the removal of the
county seat to Bloomsburg.
B.
For an individual to be eligible to vote the person had to reside in the county
for at least six months before the election.
A. If the voters approve removing the county seat to Bloomsburg, then the
citizens of Bloomsburg were responsible for providing the necessary funds for
one acre of land and erecting the new county buildings -- courthouse, prison
and sheriff house. No cost to the taxpayers!
B.
It shall be lawful to solicit subscriptions from the citizens of Bloomsburg to
pay for the costs of the new county buildings.
20
C.
County buildings are to be constructed either of brick or stone.
F.
The removing the county seat must be completed within three years.
G. The old county buildings in Danville will become the property of Mahoning
Township.
IX. What were the various factors that gave Bloomsburg an advantage in the winning
removal referendum vote?
A. County seat will be located near to the geographic center of the county.
1.
The citizens of the eastern and northern townships would save
many miles and much traveling time when they had to go to the
courthouse.
2.
Correct a situation in which it was widely believed that Danville
became the county seat by deception and fraud.
B.
Replace old and inadequate courthouse and jail in need of extensive repairs,
with new and fire proof buildings at no cost to the taxpayers. The land will
also be donated to the county.
C.
The population advantage clearly favored the pro-removal movement. Based
on 1840 census information, the five townships near Danville, Mahoning,
Valley, Derry, Liberty, and Limestone, had only 28% of the eligible voters in
the county.
D. By having a referendum it gave the citizens the right to decide the issue rather
than leaving to the politicians in the legislature.
21
E.
If Bloomsburg becomes the county seat, the law was very fair and generous in
allowing Mahoning Township to regain the original outlay for the county
buildings.
F.
Danville supporters were viewed as wanting to dismember the county in order
to keep the county seat of government.
X. The removal referendum vote:
A. The removal faction easily won an overwhelming referendum victory,
receiving 65% of the votes.
B. There were six townships that voted for Danville: Mahoning, Derry, Liberty,
Valley, Limestone, and Briarcreek (voted 58% against removal). Briarcreek
was closely identified with the division issue.
C.
There was only one other township, Franklin, that had a sizeable anti-removal
faction, which cast 40% of the votes against removal.
XI. The immediate task facing now facing Bloomsburg was to raise the necessary money
for erecting the courthouse, jail, and the sheriff house.
A. It was a well established fact that the leadership in Bloomsburg was
committed to raising the necessary funds to relocate the county government to
Bloomsburg.
B.
A little more than two weeks after the election, a committee of citizens chaired
by Dr. John Ramsay met on November 1, 1845, and assumed the
22
responsibility of organizing the project and raising the money to build the new
country buildings.
C.
One of its first acts was to appoint a committee of five individuals, Jacob Eyer,
merchant, Daniel Snyder, former state representative, William McKelvy,
businessman, Leonard B. Rupert, former county treasurer, and Dr. John
Ramsay, to raise funds for the new country buildings.
D. Elisha H. Biggs, who ran a hotel across the street from the proposed
courthouse and William Robison, had operated a hotel on the northwest corner
of Second and Center Streets, provided the lots for the courthouse site, each
accepting a token payment of one dollar.
E.
Through the assistance of Rev. David J. Waller, the committee secured the
services of Napoleon LeBrun, a Philadelphia architect, to design a brick
courthouse in an Ionic style. Specifications for the courthouse were advertised
in the local newspapers in February 1846, with March 17 deadline for
receiving bids.
1.
The courthouse was fifty by sixty feet, exclusive of a front portico,
supported by six white columns, and with a steeple that rose eighty
feet above the ground. The new courthouse was one-third larger
than the old one.
2.
A flight of fourteen steps led to a vestibule that opened into a large
courtroom that had a balcony. The offices of the county officials
were in the building’s lower level.
3.
The contract for its construction was awarded to George Mears of
Franklin Township in early April.
4.
The cornerstone, laid on August 14, 1846, held a box containing a
brief history of the county, transactions related to the removal, list
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of financial contributors, list of county officials, and official returns
of the removal referendum.
F.
The site for the jail and the sheriff’s house was on the southwest corner of
First and Center Streets. The construction contract was awarded on October
31, 1846.
XII. There emerged a problem in financing all the costs in relocating the county seat.
Through private subscriptions, $11,000 had been raised for erecting the buildings;
however, this amount was less than what was needed to complete the project.
A. Not only was this a financial problem, it was also a political problem. The
removal law stipulated that the entire expense for erecting the county
buildings was to come from private funds, not tax funds.
B.
In addition, the campaign for removing the county seat from Danville to
Bloomsburg was sold, in part, on the grounds there would be no cost to the
taxpayers.
C.
It was decided that the Bloomsburg building committee, county commissions,
and the grand jury would jointly submit a memorial to the legislature asking it
to permit the county commissioners to spend up to $2,500 of tax funds to
complete the courthouse.
D. The justifications for the request were the following:
1.
The Removal Law stipulated that the construction of the buildings
was to be under the direction of the county commissioners.
2.
The county commissioners directed the building committee to
include in the courthouse three substantial fire proof vaults.
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However, the removal law did not require them to be built by
subscriptions.
a.
This addition was essential for protection of county
records.
b.
Furthermore, it would cost far more to install the fire
proof vaults at a later time than when the building was
under construction.
3.
In addition, a portico for the front entrance to the courthouse,
supported by six columns, floor and steps of cut stone, was added.
4.
Funds were needed to furnish the courthouse.
5.
It was also noted that the citizens had contributed liberally and that
the courthouse was more commodious, substantial and beautiful
than the old courthouse at Danville.
6.
There was the argument that if the removal proposal had been
defeated, that new county buildings would have been built at
Danville to replace the old ones and paid for by tax money.
E.
Not surprising -- the Danville people through remonstrances to the legislature
and in the columns of the Danville Intelligencer strongly objected to
commissioners be allowed to spend tax money to complete the courthouse.
1.
They argued that the Bloomsburg leaders made a pledge to the
public in a written and published handbill that county buildings
would be erected at Bloomsburg without any expenses to the
people of the county.
2.
In addition, they claimed the removal law required the Bloomsburg
citizens to build the new county buildings at their own expense.
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3.
Specifically, the provision in the law that referred “to the safe
keeping of the country records” would imply fire proof vaults.
4.
Danville contended that if this measure is past, there will be more
raids on the county treasury.
F.
Despite Danville’s protests the bill easily passed the legislature with the
Governor Shunk signing it into law on March 3, 1847.
XIII. Nearly two years and one and half months after the voters approved the removal the
county seat of government from Danville to Bloomsburg, the courthouse opened its
doors for business on November 30, 1847, and the first court session occurred on
January 17, 1848. From the viewpoint of a majority of Columbia County citizens
after thirty some years, the injustice of having the county seat in Danville was finally
corrected.
XIV. In 1850 Governor Johnson sign legislation that took 22% of Columbia County’s
territory to create Montour County.
A. It included the townships of Franklin, Mahoning, Valley, Liberty,
Limestone, Derry, Anthony, and parts of Montour, Hemlock,
Roaringcreek, and Madison townships.
B.
Charles R. Buckalew was elected Senator to represent Columbia County
and he introduced a bill to repeal the creation of Montour County in 1851.
It failed by one one.
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C.
However, Buckalew was successful in 1853 to get legislation passed and
signed by the Governor Bigler, a Democrat, to returning parts of
Roaringcreek, Franklin, Madison and West Hemlock to Columbia.
D. This left Montour County with only 130 square miles of territory, and
smallest size county in the state.
E.
According to the 2000 census Montour is fourth smallest county in
population in the state.
4th Montour
18,262
3th Potter
18,080
2nd Sullivan
6,556
1st Forrest
4,946
Columbia County population – 64,151
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