THE JOURNAL OFTHE Lycoming Clounty Historical Society VOLUMEXlll SPRING NUMBERONE 1977 JOUR.NAL of the LYCOMING COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Published Sem annuatl) {n WiLlfamspoTt, Pears)luanda Museum Office - 858 West Fourth Street Telephone (Area Code 717) 326-3326 BOARDOFTRUSTEES RALPH R.CRANMER A. F. BEIGHLEY WALTER J. HEIM WILLIAM E. NICHOLS, JR MICHAELLAGANA ROBERT D.SMINK JOHN R. SHARPLESS,JR CURRENT SOCIETY PRESIDENT BOARDOFGOVERNORS ROBERT D. SMINK. Preszdenf EDWARD J. DURRWACHTER, -ird race .f'res JAMES P. BRESSLER, ]sf race Pres. MRS. EDITH L. WRIGHT, Secretar) LORING B. PRIEST, 2nd race Pres HAROLD B.TAYLOR,Treasurer 1975-1977TERM 1976-1 978 TERM MRS.NORMANINGERSOLL MRS. JOHN W. BITNER MKS.JOHNLiNDKMUTn SAMUEL J. DORNSIFE EVERETT W. RUBENDALL WILLARD A. SCHELL CHARLES E. NOYES, SR EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS MRS. DONALD ALSTED. RE/]RESENTH r/}'E JUNIOR LEAGUE OF WILLIAMSPORT WILLIAM EALER - ])RES/DENT THE GREATER WILLIAMSPORT COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL DONALD M.CARSON HISTORICAL SOCIETY RETIRING PRESIDENT SOCIETYSTAFF EX.ECt/T/}'E SECRfTHR r and EI)/TOR DOROTHY E. SHULTZ VOLUMEXlll SPRING NUMBERONE 1977 Extra Copies of The Journal Seventy-Five Cents Each MUSEUM STAFF CONTENTS ].)irector Andrew K. Grugan Patricia Kahle Page Assistant to D{Tectov Greetings from the President 4 5 Jean Laylon Rafting Days on the Loyalsock by Fred M. Rogers RecePfzonist (Paper read before the Lycoming Historical Society in 1928) The Siren (Story of Loyalsock Mountain) taken from ''Tales of the Bald Eagle Mountains'' by Henry W. Shoemaker, 1912 14 Michael Ross,Founder of Williamsport, by Craig Weaver 21 The PresbyterianMinisters of Lycoming County (continuation) by Warren L. Marsh: Rev. JosephPainter, Rev. Daniel Barber Rev. Phineas Marr, Rev. John Hudson, Rev. James Phillips 27 MUSEUM VOLUNTEER STAFF Genealogical Information Available in the Museum 33 COVER PICTURE: Michael Ross, Founder of Williamsport Registration Committee Miss June Foresman,Chairman CENTERFOLD: SketchMap of the LoyalsockCreek--the Lawi Saquick or Middle Mrs. StanleyBassett Creek of the Indians by Bruce A. Hunt Miss Ethel Ertel Mrs. FrederickSnell MEETINGS, 1976-1977 OpercLtion Museum Andrew K. Grugan LYCOMING COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY March 23, 1977, 6:30 p.m. Publicis) and Public Relations Andrew K. Grugan Dinner meeting at Eldred Township Fire Hall, Warrensville. Dr. Homer T. Rosenbergerwill speakon "Highlights in the History of the Philadelphia and General Restoration Philip N. Gould Erie Railroad. April 21, 1977,8:00 p.m. CuvatoTial Departments. Annual meeting. Dr. Luring B Priest will speak on the subject, 'The Continuing Bicentennial Genera! Curator Andrew K. Grugan ,4rchaeo/o93i James P. Bressler, Chairman Willard Schell William Turnbaugh LIFE MEMBERS A rchiues and Records Miss Gladys Tozier, Chief The following are Life Members of our Historical Society Mrs. Richard P. Foresman Dr. June E. Baskin Miss Elizabeth C. Kackenmeister Miss Jean Little Miss Margaret C. Brown Mrs. John Lindemuth Miss Phyllis Briel Mrs. John O. Cook Hugh H. MacMullan Mrs. Frances T. Davis Miss Margaret A. MacMullan John G. Detwiler Education Joseph R. Maiolo, Jr. Andrew K. Grugan Miss Ida May Dittmar Mrs. Lucille P. Metzger Dr. & Mrs. GeorgeA. Durrwachter Miss Grace Irene Pealer Fine Hits Dr. June E. Baskin Miss Helen Foucart Arthur Petter Mr. & Mrs. A. William Gehron Miss Mary E. Riddell /ndusfry Francis Maneval Miss Elsie Harding Mr. & Mrs. Willard A. Schell Miss Jean T. Heller Mrs. John Sloan Mr. and Mrs. Robert HI. Herz Miss Gladys Tozier MineTats Lewis Harper Mrs. J. Paul H. Hively Mr. & Mrs. Franklin T. Ulman Mrs. Morris H. Housel Miss Mary E. Ulmer Textile s Mrs. Norman Ingersoll Mrs. John W. Hunter Mrs. George Walters Mrs. Edith Wright Mrs. Leslie Painton 4 RAFTING DAYSON THELOYALSOCK By Fred M. Rogers March 24, 1977 (Paper read before the Lycoming .Historical Society in 1928 and published in Lycoming Historical Society Publications, No. 8) ' Dear Members: As we approach the end of this fiscal year, it is my pleasureto report to you some of The subject covered by the title of latte! is necessaryto an understandingof the activities and achievements of our Society and Museum this paper i? one very inte;estingto the the former. The mills and rafting will be The monthly meetings of the Society have been well attended which is evidence of writer, who had just enough of tl; excite- takenup first--latersomething of that ment, hard work and hiirdshipsof The which is known of the Log Floaters will the interestof our membersand a complimentto Dr. Luring Priestand his program Rafting Days on the Loyalsock, to make it be added. committee for their selection of topics and speakers so By the end of our fiscal year, March 31, some 14,000persons will have visited the Museum. Many of these were students in the elementary and secondary schools of the First: it wasthe lumbermenand saw- County. Our Museum Director, Mr. Andrew Grugan, not only conducts tours of the The rafting days date back to about mills that gave rise to rafting, and the Museum but also arranges presentations and displays on special topics related to the 1830--possiblysome years before then: Bird, Rogers, Molyneux, Brown and school curriculum and they came into existencebecause the Little families, all early settlers, faced old Loyalsock was the only Highway to and conquered the complicated condi- Currently on displayfor the generalpublic are original prints of Currier and Ives the Sea at that time. and a railroad exhibit which was arranged to coincide with Dr. Homer T. Rosenberger's tions involved in getting lumber to market over the Loyalsock. speechon the history of the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad at the annual dinner of the If the fact that che men of those Society. The lumber gallery of the Museumhas receivednationwide publicity through the days, who must have been unaccustomed There were numeroussaw-mills on inclusionof a photographand descriptionof this exhibit in a publicationof the to such ruggedness as they found on the the Loyalsockin the early times and the Georgia-Pacificllistorical Museum, Portland, Oregon. Entitled ''Displaysand Exhibits Loyalsock: attempted such a dangerous location .of the principal ones as nearly as in the IJ. S. and Canada." it lists and describesa total of 72 lumber museumsand and laborious businessis amazing, it must it is possible to give it today, follows: be remembered that the men who displays. This recognition was well deservedsince our lumber gallery is very complete and well arranged. carried on" on the Loyalsock were the Three at Millview.on the Little The annual meetingand election of officers of the Societywill be held in the old sturdypioneers on that streamand Loyalsock, near Forksville--one on the Museumat 8:00 p.m., Thursday,April 21, 1977.Dr. Loring Priestwill speakon ''The their descendants. To say they knew real Huckell farm at Forksville and one near Continuing Bicentennial." reminding us that not all of the important eventsin the birth hardships and had real' grit, manliness the covered bridge at Forksville l--one a of our nation occurred in 1776. and courage, is putting it very mildly. half-mile below Forksville--twoat the Brown farm, about three miles below We are presentlyengaged in promoting with The Greater Williamsport Community And thoseof them who knew the Arts Council a concert by the world famous Columbus Boychoir at the Williamsport Forksville--one on the Bryan fail, across Area High School at eight o'clock Sunday evening, May 22, 1977. crooked, rocky, rugged course of the the Loyalsock from the Brown farm-- Proceedsfrom this major musical event will be shared by our two organizations. Loyalsock, with its b;;s, narrow channels. two near the old splashdam, four miles It is important that our members enthusiastically support this project as a means of and sharp right-angle turns so as com below Forksville--oneat the mouth of Elk much neededadditional income for our Society. Our presentsources of support through pelently to steer or pilot the regular size Creek, on the Loyalsock--one near membershipsand various grants are inadequate, and we must use other efforts if we rafts on the streamhad, in addition to Biddle'sDam at Aillsgrove--twoat are to continue to operate as an important cultural and educational assetfor our area grit,. courageand manliness,plenty of Lippencott's and Huckell's farms. below For myself, personally, and for the members of the Board of Governors, I wish to good active brain cells and quick' insights. Hillsgrove--one on the Lewis farm below expressappreciation to our staff, professional and volunteer. and to all of you for your Hillsgrove--oneon the Scaifefarm, above continuing interest and support There are but very few men left who Barbours Mills one at Barbours Mills- know the .conditions on the Loyalsock three at Bear Creek and vicinity--Day's Sincerely yours, which made the rafting days possible; Mill, below Barbours Mills--one 'at Robert D. Smink, Preszdenf and who know the approximate locations Stryker's known as Stryker's Mill--one at Lycoming County Historical of the saw-mills that ' manufactured the Woolever's Dam. known as Society lumber from which the rafts were con- Miller's Mill--one at the mouth of Wallis structed. More than likely there are but Run--and one at Slabtown or Loyalsock few historical data on the subject pre- ville served on nile for the beneHlt of 'the coming generations. Thesemills, togetherwith othersthat That .this paper may accomplish its were erected from time to time along purpose of recording conditions that will neverreturn, the writer must link up with According to other statementsone of the Rafting Days,the Lumberingand :hose was on OT neat the Benjamin Log Floating Days. A knowledge of the Little Fave. (Ed.) ' 6 7 the Loyalsockand its vicinity, produced times these men made these trips daily Some Springs there was but little :he Taft, on both sides Clad across both the lumber in Rafting Days on the Loyal- for ten days at a stretch.