Welcome to Columbia County Pennsylvania History and Genealogy
THIS COUNTY IS AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION
If you have the desire to help transcribe genealogical
data and place it online for the free use of all researchers, contact
Nancy
to become a host. Volunteer Information is available
here.
This County currently does not
have a host. This means that there is no one available to help answer your
questions about this county's history or to help you with your family's genealogy
within this county.
WE REGRET THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO DO PERSONAL RESEARCH
FOR YOU.
Columbia County was created on March
22, 1813 from part of Northumberland County and named for Columbia, a poetic
name that alludes to Christopher Columbus. Bloomsburg, the county seat since
November 30, 1847, was incorporated as a town on March 4, 1870, and is the
only incorporated town in the state. Its name comes from Bloom Township,
which was named for Samuel Bloom, a commissioner of Northumberland County.
Danville, the county seat from 1813 to 1846, is now the seat of Montour County.
Native American communities had long lived here along the Susquehanna River,
and the first white settlement was south of the river. Berwick was laid out
in 1783. As a North brach Canal depot and then a railroad station, Catawissa
grew and served a thriving farm region. Anthracite mining and a lumber boom
arose but, like Columbia’s farming, yielded to competition in the
1930’s .Abandoned deep coal mines have burned for decades beneath the
town of Centralia. ACF’s railroad car complex and Bloomsburg’s
silk and carpet works prospered until the national trend toward
deindustrialization began in recent decades. ACF manufactured tanks during
World War II. The county’s farming has emphasized fruit and field crops;
in 1992 Columbia ranked 37th among all 67 counties in value of farm crops.
Farms cover 37 percent of the county’s area. There were Underground
Railroad stations at Berwick and Millville. Some of the accused Molly Maguires
were tried in Bloomsburg in 1877.
Boroughs and Census
Designated Places
|
| Almedia |
Aristes |
Asland(partial) |
Benton |
Berwick |
| Bloomsburg |
Briar Creek |
Buckhorn |
Catawissa |
Centralia |
| Espy |
Eyers Grove |
Fernville |
Foundryville |
Iola |
| Jamison City |
Jerseytown |
Jonestown |
Lightstreet |
Lime Ridge |
| Locustdale |
Mainville |
Mifflinville |
Millville |
Numidia |
| Orangeville |
Rohrsburg |
Rupert |
Slabtown |
Stillwater |
| Waller |
Wilburton Number One |
Wilburton Number Two |
|
|
| Townships |
| Beaver Township |
Benton Township |
Briar Creek Township |
Catawissa Township |
Cleveland Township |
| Conyngham Township |
Fishing Creek Township |
Franklin Township |
Greenwood Township |
Hemlock Township |
| Jackson Township |
Locust Township |
Madison Township |
Main Township |
Miffin Township |
| Montour Township |
Mount Pleasant Township |
North Centre Township |
Orange Township |
Pine Township |
| Roaring Creek Township |
Scott Township |
South Centre Township |
Sugarloaf Township |
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