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History of Juniata County
History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...
Edited by F. Ellis and A. N. Hungerford.
Published in Philadelphia by Everts, Peck & Richards, 1886
Pages 661-667
CHAPTER I.
Erection and Organization of the County - Location of the County Seat - Public Buildings - Rosters of Officials from 1831-1885.
THE ERECTION OF JUNIATA COUNTY.—The causes that brought about the erection of Juniata County, in 1831, had their beginning in 1789, when Mifflin County, of which this territory was a part, was erected. In the sketch of the erection of Mifflin County will be found a petition which recites the troubles existing at that time, and shows that as late as 1801 petitions were sent to the Legislature asking for a removal of the county-seat. These petitions were not granted, and soon after so great was the feeling, that petitions began to be circulated among the people, having for their object the division of the county. A bill was introduced into the Senate early in February, 1813, entitled “An act erecting that part of Mifflin County which lies east of and below the Black Log Mountain and Long Narrows into a separate county.”
On the 12th of February it was read the second time, and upon the question of the Senate was equally divided, but one of the members who voted against it moved a reconsideration, when, two members (Messrs. Graham and Poe) being absent, it was carried by a majority of two votes.
The bill was amended so as to read “An act erecting part of Mifflin County into a separate county, to be called Juniata,” and it was ordered that the bill be transcribed for a third reading.
The following extract of a letter, dated Harrisburg, February 23, 1813, was sent to the editors of the Juniata Gazette, Lewistown, and is of interest in this connection:
“The people below the Narrows of your county have almost unanimously petitioned for a division. They wish the Legislature to make the line where nature fixed it along the rugged chain of mountains that run through the county. The bill has passed the Senate by a majority of two votes. Either end of the county now is as numerous and possessing double the wealth which the whole county did in the year, 1789, when it was divided.”
The bill did not pass at this time, and petitions were again circulated for and against among the inhabitants, both above and below the Narrows. The officers of the court and the tavern-keepers at Lewistown resorted to all kinds of arguments to defeat the measure. Tuscarora Valley by the Long Narrows was urged in favor of a new county. To offset this the people of Lewistown petitioned court for a road across the mountains from Lewistown into Tuscarora Valley. Viewers were appointed, who made a favorable report. The court confirmed and ordered a road to be laid out six feet wide. The township refused to open it. In 1816 a law was passed granting five hundred dollars to assist in its construction. Part of the road over into Licking Creek was made with this money, and it may still be seen as one of the antiquities that mark the annals of the past. It has in some places a grade of twenty-four degrees, or seven feet to the perch, and it is not known that any one ever risked his neck or that of his horse in riding down that road, and had it been finished it would have taken five thousand dollars and then been utterly unfit for any vehicle except a one-wheeled cart. It crossed the Blue Ridge near the route of Fort Granville path and is sometimes mistaken for it, though both may yet be easily found. In 1818 a road was laid out from the paper-mill to intersect this tavern-keeper’s road. Few people in Licking Creek to-day know that they have a laid-out road to Lewistown.
The Juniata Gazette, dated January 26, 1816, gives the following letter from a correspondent at Harrisburg concerning the division of counties:
“The rage for dividing counties, and erecting new ones, is greater this season than at any former period. Among others, Mifflin County is like to come in for her share. The bill for the erection of a new county out of that part of Mifflin County that lies below the Long Narrows, to be called Juniata, has passed the Senate, and been presented to the Lower House for their concurrence. Of its ultimate fate there we cannot form an opinion.”
It is evident it did not pass the Lower House, as in the session of 1818-19 the following petition was sent to the Senate and House of Representatives.
It asserts that every year for seven years from eleven to thirteen thousand of the people below the Narrows have petitioned the Legislature for a division, and recites the condition of the territory at that time as follows:
“The old townships of Milford and Fermanagh alone in our proposed new county are now nearly as numerous and much more wealthy, and will sell for more money than all the county of Mifflin would have done at the time of its erection, in 1789. In our proposed new county we have twenty-eight grist and merchant-mills, forty-nine saw-mills, three fulling-mills, thirteen carding-machines, three oil-mills and one complete paper-mill, and it will be seen by the printed documents herewith submitted that there are seventeen counties in the State that are fewer in number than either the old or new county would be if divided, and twenty counties in the State that the lands are not valued half as high as is Mifflin County, and some of them are entitled to two members. . . .
“The people below these Narrows have all to come from east south and west to one entering-place, and then to go up the Long Narrows and through the mountains, a distance of nine or ten miles—the whole distance they have to travel to the seat of justice is from nine to forty miles. . . .
“Nature has fixed a boundary, which ought, at least, to separate counties; that boundary is a chain of high mountains between Mifflintown and Lewistown. Besides, there exists so much prejudice and jealousy between the people above and those below that almost all public improvements is at a stand while the question is pending. . . .
“Therefore your memorialists most solemnly pray your honorable bodies to restore harmony and good-will among the people by putting this long-litigated question and the people to rest by passing a law to divide the county agreeably to the prayers of the petitions, and they will, as in duty bound, ever pray.”
This petition, although brought before the Legislature, failed to bring about the erection of the new county. Petitions had been sent to the Legislature from people living above the Narrows protesting against the dismemberment of Mifflin County, and all the efforts of the people below the Narrows for seven years had been defeated. For a time their efforts ceased. The idea was not, however, abandoned, and the Mifflin County opponents sought to dismember their county partly with a view of holding the central part. To this end effort was made by the introduction of a bill, in 1823, to the Legislature to annex Lack township to Perry. A bill was also introduced, in 1828, to annex Greenwood township to Union County (then including Snyder). On February 4, 1828, John Patterson, Esq., then a member of the Legislature, writes that “the bill to annex Greenwood to Union County has passed the Senate,” and asks for remonstrances. Hulings, he says, pretends to be against it, but will privately favor it, and Speaker Middleswarth is in favor of the annexation to his county.
Neither of these bills passed and Mifflin County was still unchanged.
In the session of 1830-31, John Cummins, a member of the Legislature from Mifflin County and resident below the Narrows, was leader of a movement to bring about the erection of Juniata County. The bill to divide Mifflin County passed the House, and on the morning of February 28, 1831, passed a third and last reading in the Senate and on the final vote the bill received eighteen yeas and twelve nays.
The act was approved by Governor Wolf March 2, 1831, and Juniata County, after vainly struggling for a place nineteen years, at last was admitted as an independent body.
The boundaries, as described in the act, are as follows:
“That all that part of Mifflin County laying south and east of a line beginning on the summit of Black Log Mountain, where the Huntingdon County line crosses the same, and running thence along the summit thereof to the Juniata River; thence across the same to a marked black oak, standing by the road on the north side of said river, about the middle of the Long Narrows, known as a line-tree between Derry and Fermanagh townships, in said county; thence along the summit of Shade Mountain to the line of Union County, and thence along said line down Mahantango Creek to the Susquehanna River, shall be and the same is hereby erected into a separate county, to be called Juniata.”
LOCATION OF COUNTY-SEAT.—Section 9 of the act of erection provides,--
“That the Governor be and he is hereby authorized and required, on or before the first day of May next ensuing, to appoint three discreet and disinterested persons, not residents in the counties of Mifflin or Juniata, whose duty it shall be to fix on a proper and convenient site for a court-house, prison and county offices within the aforesaid county of Juniata, as near the centre thereof as circumstances will admit, having regard to the convenience of roads, territory, population and the accommodation of the people of the said county generally.”
In accordance with this authority, Governor Wolf appointed General Philip Benner, of Centre, Major Joel Baily, of Dauphin, and Chauncey Frisby, Esq., of Bradford County, commissioners for the purpose of fixing the seat of justice of the new county of Juniata.
The Juniata Telegraph (Mifflintown) of June 9, 1831, says the commissioners “arrived in this place Wednesday evening last, and are now actively and industriously engaged in fulfilling the duties of their appointment. On Monday morning they set off from this town for the purpose of viewing Tuscarora Valley and returned last evening. This morning they will start through Lost Creek and Greenwood township in order that equal and exact justice may be rendered to all the different conflicting interests.”
After the merits of the different sites had been examined, the commissioners located the seat of justice at Mifflintown, where it had been located forty-one years before as the seat of justice of Mifflin County.
The county buildings were erected at Mifflintown and used many years. In 1868, when the question of erecting new public buildings was brought before the people, an effort was made to remove the county seat to Perryville or Port Royal, and excitement ran so high that a bill was presented to the Legislature for the following purpose: “Authorizing an election to be held in the County of Juniata relative to a change of county-seat and the erection of new county buildings.” This act was approved April 11, 1868; the election was held on the 13th of October, 1868, as provided, with the results as given below by townships:
Mifflintown – 200 - …
Fermanagh – 215 - …
Walker – 210 – 92
Fayette – 356 – 5
Delaware – 155 – 45
Thompsontown – 41 – 13
Monroe – 165 – 16
Greenwood – 67 – 19
Susquehanna – 122 – 6
Patterson – 141 – 9
Milford – 162 – 78
Perrysville – 3 – 121
Turbett – 13 – 138
Spruce Hill – 1 – 192
Tuscarora – 105 – 149
Beale – 89 – 118
Lack – 40 – 159
Black Log – 37 – 5
2122 – 1165
The new buildings were erected at Mifflintown and it still remains the county-seat.
On the organization of Juniata County the Governor appointed the following officers: Prothonotary, William Kirk; Register, etc., James S. Law, of Fermanagh; Justice of the Peace, Second District, Fermanagh and Walker, Hugh McAlister and John Knox; Third District, Milford and Turbett, James Hughes and John North; Fourth District, Lack and Tuscorora, Thomas I. McConnell, Esq., and David Glenn, Esq.
ERECTION OF COUNTY BUILDINGS.—On the 22d of March, 1832, twenty-seven inhabitants and proprietors of Mifflintown, in consideration of one dollar, conveyed to the commissioners of Juniata County the public square now occupied by the court-house. It was described as “being the same piece of ground originally laid out by John Harris, the proprietor of said town, and intended by him for the purpose for which it is now conveyed, and for none other.” It contains one acre and fifteen perches and is one hundred and fifty by three hundred feet.
Plans were prepared for a court-house by Thomas McCurdy, which were accepted by the commissioners and contract was made with Amos Gustine and Everett Oles for the erection of a court-house at a cost of thirty-nine hundred and forty dollars. The house was completed and the last payment made January 22, 1833; a bill of $225.93 for extra work was also paid. The first court was held in the new court-house in May of that year, court having previously been held in the old stone Presbyterian Church, which stood in the burial-ground.
The court-house was in use until 1873, when it was torn away and the present structure erected. The grand jury of the county, in February, 1868, reported in favor of and recommendation of the erection of a new court-house. At that time, an effort was made to remove the county-seat to Perryville, which, upon being submitted to a vote of the people, was lost. The matter of repairs or new buildings came up from this time often before the commissioners. On the 19th of May, 1873, Mr. L. M. Simon, an architect of Harrisburg, was requested to meet with the commissioners and draw plans for repairing the old house or to build a new one. William Ulsh, president of the board, was appointed to go to Harrisburg with Mr. Simon in relation to remodeling the court-house. No mention is made in the commissioners’ minutes of a report having been received of Mr. Ulsh or a resolution to build a new court-house, but on the 1st of June, 1873, a contract was made with John B. M. Todd to deliver at the court-house four hundred and twenty-five thousand good brick for a new court-house, twenty thousand of them to be pressed brick. At a meeting of the board of commissioners July 14, 1883, it was decided to advertise for proposals and to let the contract August 11, 1883, at which time Messrs. Hetrich & Fleisher, of Newport, Perry County, were awarded the contract to build a new court-house, in accordance with plans and specifications, for the sum of forty-two thousand one hundred dollars, the court-room to be finished in time for holding court at the December term, 1884, the whole to be completed January 1, 1885. On February 6, 1874, contract was made with G. W. Smith to take down the old court-house. The location of the new house was decided March 23, 1874.
On the 15th of September, 1873, the commissioners resolved to borrow fifty thousand dollars on the credit of the county, under provision of an act of Assembly passed April 9, 1868. Bonds were issued for eight years, at six per cent. interest, which were to be paid in eight annual installments.
Courts were held during the erection of the new building in the Lutheran Church. The house now standing on the northeast corner of the public square was erected for the use of offices until the offices in the court-house were ready for occupancy. The court-house was completed according to contract, and with bell, clock, furniture, pavement, fences and other improvements, cost about sixty-three thousand dollars. The first floor contains the offices of the prothonotary, register and recorder, Orphans’ Court-room, county commissioner, sheriff and county treasurer. The second floor contains the court-room and three jury-rooms, while in a third story are the rooms for the grand jury.
The commissioners,--General Louis Evans, William Wharton and George Gilliford,--upon whom the task of building the court-house and jail devolved, procured plans for a jail from the Hon. Everett Oles, and advertised for proposals to be handed in between February 9 and 26, 1833, for the erection of a stone jail. Contract was made with Emmanuel Wise and Thomas McCurdy for its erection for the sum of twenty-six hundred dollars. It was completed and is still used.
CIVIL LIST OF JUNIATA COUNTY.—Following are rosters of the officials of Juniata County, and of her representatives in the State and national Legislatures, from 1831 to 1885, inclusive:
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
Amos Gustine, Twenty-seventh Congress, 1841 to 1843.
Andrew Parker, Thirty-second Congress, 1851 to 1853.
Louis E. Atkinson, Forty-eighth Congress, 1883 to 1885.
Re-elected to Forty-ninth Congress.
MEMBERS OF STATE SENATE.
1808.—Ezra Doty (then Mifflin County).
1812.—William Beale (then Mifflin County).
1840.—James Mathews.
1850.—J. J. Cunningham.
1855.—James M. Sellers.
1860.—Dr. E. D. Crawford.
1868.—John K. Robinson.
1871.—Dr. D. M. Crawford.
1877.—Dr. D. M. Crawford.
MEMBERS OF ASSEMBLY.
1831. John Cummings.
1832. William Sharon.
Thomas Stinson.
William Curran.
John Adams.
James Mathews.
James Hughes.
John Funk.
John H. McCrum.
William Cox.
Andrew Patterson.
John McMinn.
Union and Juniata.
1850. John McGlaughlin.
1852. William Sharon.
1853. John Beale.
1854. John W. Simonton.
1855. James W. Crawford.
1856. George W. Strouse.
1857. Thomas Bower.
1859. John J. Patterson.
1861. John J. Patterson.
1863. George W. Strouse.
1864. John Balsbach.
1869. A. H. Martin.
1870. Abraham Rohrer.
1874. Jerome Hetrick.
1876. Jerome Hetrick.
1877. T. D. Garmon.
1878. William Pomeroy.
1879. Dr. Lucien Banks.
1881. John D. Milligan.
1884. James North.
SHERIFFS (1831 to present time).
1831-34. Amos Gustine.
1835-37. John Beale.
1838. Henry Miller.
1840. Wm. W. Wilson.
1843. William Bell.
1843. Saml. McWilliams.
1850. David McKinstry.
1853. Joseph Bell.
1856. D. M. Jamison.
1859. George Reynolds.
1862. Jas. W. Hamilton.
1865. Samuel B. Loudon.
1868. John Deitrich.
1871. Joseph Ard.
1874. Wm. H. Knouse.
1877. W. D. Walls.
1880. Joseph B. Kelly.
1883. George Shivery.
PROTHONOTARIES.
December, 1831, William W. Kirk.
February, 1836, Robert Patterson.
January, 1839, Tobias Kreider.
February, 1839, Lewis Burchfield.
December, 1845, James M. Sellers.
December, 1851, J. Middagh.
December, 1854, Amos H. Martin.
December, 1860, R. M. Sterrett.
December, 1863, George W. Jacobs.
December, 1866, George Reynolds.
December, 1869, Robert E. McMeen.
December, 1872, I. D. Wallis.
December, 1876, Jacob Beidler.
December, 1879, George Reynolds.
January, 1882, George S. Conn.
January, 1885, Theodore H. Meminger.
REGISTERS AND RECORDERS.
1831. James S. Law.
1833. Robert Barnard.
1836. Tobias Kreider.
1839. Joseph Bogg.
1845. William Reader.
1848. Benj. Bonsell.
1854. Alex. Magonigle.
1855. Joseph L. Stewart.
1855. John P. Wharton.
1861. R. P. McWilliams.
1867. Joshua Beale.
1870. Eli Dunn.
1873. J. T. Mittlin.
1876. J. D. Musser.
1880. J. M. McDonald.
1883. S. Brady Coveny.
TREASURERS.
[The treasurers were appointed by the commissioners until 1842, when the office was elective.]
Oct. 20, 1831, J. Cummings.
1836. Wm. H. Patterson.
1837. Amos Gustine.
1838. Robt. Barnard.
1840. James Kirk.
1842. Saml. Penebaker.
1844. James Kirk.
1846. Benj. Bonsell.
1848. Jos. M. Belford.
1850. Benj. F. Kepner.
1852. George Jacobs.
1854. John Yeakley.
1856. Benj. F. Kepner.
1858. D. W. A. Belford.
1860. George W. Stroup.
1862. Jacob Suloff.
1864. John B. M. Todd.
1866. Robert E. Parker.
1868. Jacob A. Christy.
1870. David Watts.
1872. Wm. C. Laird.
1874. Saml. H. Showers.
1876. Robt. E. Parker.
1879. John W. Kirk.
1881. Jacob Lemon.
1884. John M. Copeland.
COMMISSIONERS.
1831.—Joel Bailey, P. Benner, C. Frisbie.
1832-33.—George Gilliford, William Wharton and Louis Evans.
1834.—John Funk, Louis Evans and David Glenn.
1835.—John Funk, Louis Evans and David Glenn.
1836.—Michael Bushey, Paul Cox.
1837.—Emanuel Wise.
1838.—Daniel Collins.
1839.—John North.
1840.—John P. Shitz.
1841.—John Kenawell.
1842.—John Crozier.
1843.—John F. Saeger.
1844.—James Lauthers.
1845.—John Dimm.
1846.—David Beale.
1847.—Ezra McLin.
1848.—Robert Inners.
1849.—Samuel Rannels.
1850.—David Alexander.
1851.—John Anderson.
1852.—Thomas J. Milliken.
1853.—William Adams.
1854.—Joseph Seiber.
1855.—Daniel Flickinger.
1856.—James Anderson.
1857.—Barnett Rapp.
1858.—Joseph Kerliss.
1859.—Henry McConnell.
1860.—John Landis.
1861.—William Kohler.
1862.—James S. Cox.
1863.—John Foltz.
1864.—John Kenawell.
1865.—Matthew Clark, William Logue.
1866.—David Diven.
1867.—David Suloff, Sr.
1868.—Walter App.
1869.—E. R. Gilliford.
1870.—William Ulsh.
1871.—William Von Swearinger.
1872.—David B. Diven.
1873.—Alexander A. Crozier.
1875.—Thomas Watts.
1876.—James McLaughlin, David B. Cox, William H. Groninger.
1879.—J. Banks Wilson, Hugh L. McMeen, John B. McWilliams.
1881.—J. Banks Wilson, Hugh L. McMeen, David Partner.
1884.—O. P. Barton, John T. Dimm, W. N. Sterrett.
COMMISSIONERS’ CLERKS.
1831. James Mathers.
1835. Robt. Barnard.
1836. J. A. Christy.
1844. Caleb Parker.
1847. David M. Crawford.
1848. Lewis Burchfield.
1851. John Huzzard.
1855. Tobias Kreider.
1857. Joseph Middagh.
1862. John Huzzard.
1865. A. J. Greer.
1866. Joseph Middagh.
1872. James Dean.
1879. James Irwin.
1885. Samuel Loudon.
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS.
David Laughlin, commissioned July 5, 1854; resigned July 5, 1855.
W. M. Burchfield, commissioned July 1, 1855; term expired June 1, 1860.
John B. Porter, commissioned June 8, 1860; term expired June 1, 1863.
H. B. Zimmerman, commissioned June 1, 1863; term expired June 1, 1866.
George W. Lloyd, commissioned June 4, 1866; re-elected June 4, 1869; term expired June 1, 1872.
David E. Robinson, commissioned June 6, 1872; term expired June 6, 1875.
John M. Garman, commissioned June 7, 1875; term expired June 1, 1878.
Wellington Smith, commissioned June 1, 1878; term expired June 1, 1881; re-elected June 1, 1881; time expired June 1, 1884.
Wilson E. Auman, commissioned June 1, 1884; now in office.
| |
1800 |
1810 |
1820 |
1830 |
1840 |
1850 |
1860 |
1870 |
1880 |
| Fermanagh |
1505 |
…. |
2529 |
1432 |
831 |
887 |
1101 |
993 |
1114 |
| Greenwood |
969 |
…. |
1800 |
2068 |
1237 |
1651 |
635 |
744 |
601 |
| Milford |
1842 |
…. |
1554 |
1537 |
1824 |
1373 |
1102 |
1158 |
1341 |
| Turbett |
…. |
…. |
1165 |
1134 |
1319 |
1390 |
703 |
714 |
747 |
| Lack |
1071 |
…. |
1511 |
674 |
761 |
1146 |
1340 |
1290 |
1439 |
| Tuscarora |
…. |
…. |
…. |
827 |
1018 |
1175 |
1303 |
1492 |
1591 |
| Walker |
…. |
…. |
…. |
1379 |
1423 |
1493 |
1719 |
1608 |
1699 |
| Delaware |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
956 |
1126 |
1557 |
1079 |
1170 |
| Fayette |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
1291 |
1550 |
2006 |
2051 |
2028 |
| Mifflintown Bor |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
420 |
485 |
767 |
857 |
842 |
| Beale |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
744 |
973 |
1039 |
1130 |
| Monroe |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
1021 |
1078 |
1125 |
| Patterson Bor |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
544 |
659 |
763 |
| Port Royal Bor |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
518 |
559 |
681 |
| Spruce Hill |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
877 |
899 |
1007 |
| Susquehanna |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
820 |
890 |
733 |
| Thompsontown Bor |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
280 |
275 |
| Richfield |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
131 |
…. |
| Mexico |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
…. |
102 |
…. |
| |
5387 |
…. |
8559 |
9051 |
11080 |
13029 |
16986 |
17623 |
18286 |
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© 2013 by Michael Milliken
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