1843 History of Perry County, Pennsylvania
Contributed by Nancy Piper
[Source: Historical Collections of the State of Pennsylvania, by Sherman Day, Philadelphia, 1843, Page 537-542]
| Perry County
Perry County was separated from Cumberland by the act of 1820. Length 38 miles, breadth 14; area 539 sq. miles. Population in 1820, 11,342; in 1830, 14,257; and in 1840, 17,096. The county lies between two lofty and very distinct ranges of mountains, the Kittatinny on the southeast, and Tuscarora mountain and its continuation, Turkey mountain, on the northwest. The surface between these two prominent barriers is broken by a number of subordinate ridges, having the same general direction, but subdivided into isolated links; exhibiting the effects of those mighty subterranean forces that have upheaved the great anthracite coal region, lying in the same range northeast of the Susquehanna, These minor ranges are Bower's mountain, Quaker ridge, and Dick's hill; Mahoney ridge, Limestone ridge, Middle ridge, Racoon ridge, and Conococheague hill; and Cove mountain on the Susquehanna. Between these ridges are narrow, undulating valleys of limestone and slate lands, of great beauty and fertility. The effects of the forces above alluded to are strikingly exhibited in the apparently capricious manner in which the streams find their way through the mountains. The Susquehanna, here reinforced by the Juniata, as if proud of its augmented volume, breaks directly through the double barrier of Cove mountain, when it might apparently have found an easier course by turning the end of it, where it dies away only four or five miles west of the river. The Little Juniata, too, an humbler stream, instead of passing down the valley between Mahoney ridge and Dick's hill to the Susquehanna, or passing the depressions at either end of Dick's hill, runs half way down the valley, and then turning suddenly to the right, cuts directly through the main body of the hill, and enters the Susquehanna at Petersburg. A glance at the map will illustrate these phenomena better than a prolix description. Iron ore is found in many localities, and several furnaces are in operation in the county. The Susquehanna forms the eastern boundary of the county, breaking through its course five lofty mountain ranges. The Juniata emerges from the Tuscarora mountain near Millerstown, and joins the Susquehanna at Duncan's island. Sherman's creek, with its many branches, waters the southern side of the co.; the Little Juniata is in the middle part; and Buffalo, Little Buffalo, and Racoon creek, water the northern side. The Harrisburg and Huntingdon turnpike runs along the left bank of the Juniata; and the county is intersected with many excellent common roads in every direction. The Pennsylvania canal crosses the Susquehanna in a pool, with a double towing-path attached to the magnificent bridge at Duncan's island, and there divides-one branch taking the Juniata, and the other the Susquehanna. Above Duncan's island the Juniata division crosses on an aqueduct to the right bank of the Juniata, and again recrosses by a curious rope-ferry just below Millerstown. There is a medicinal spring on the bank of Sherman's creek, in a romantic region at the foot of Quaker hill, about 11 miles north of Carlisle. A commodious house accommodates visitors. |
| The original population of this co. was Scotch, Irish, and English; but the Germans and their descendants now predominate. Iron and woollen manufactures are carried on to a considerable extent, but agriculture forms the prominent occupation of the citizens. Few details have been preserved respecting the early settlement of Perry co. The early pioneers were generally Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, with a few Quakers, who came over the mountains from the Conococheague and Carlisle settlements. |
| Mr. Magee, grandfather of the present sheriff of the co., settled at
an early day among the hills in Toboyne township. He often had more visitors
than friends. Hearing a screaming one dark night, near his cabin, he stepped
out of the door with an axe, and killed a panther that was just ready to
pounce upon him. There is still standing in Madison township a log-house
belonging to the McMullen family, that was formerly a place of refuge for
the settlers; it is full of bullet holes. The following extracts are from
the narrative of Robert Robison, a soldier in Col. Armstrong's expedition,
and one of the early pioneers of Sherman's valley:
The next I remember of was in the year 1756, the Woolcomber family, on Sherman's creek: the whole of the inhabitants of the valley were gathered to a fort at George Robison's; but Woolcomber would not leave home; he said it was the Irish who were killing one another : these peaceable people, the Indians, would not hurt any person. Being at home, and at dinner, the Indians came in, and the Quaker asked them to come and eat dinner; an Indian answered that he did not come to eat, but for scalps; the son, a boy of 14 or 15 years of age, when he heard the Indian say so, repaired to a back door, and as he went out he looked back and saw the Indian strike the tomahawk into his father's head. The boy then ran over the creek, which was near to the house, and heard the screams of his mother, sisters, and brothers. The boy came to our fort and gave us the alarm ; about forty went to where the murder was done, and buried the dead. |
| In the second war, on the 5th July, 1763, the Indians came to Juniata,
it being harvest time, and the white people were come back to reap their
crops ; they came first to the house of Win. White; it was on the Sabbath
day; the reapers were all in the house; the Indians crept up nigh to the
door and shot the people lying on the floor, and killed Wm. White, and all
his family that were there, excepting one boy, who, when he heard the guns,
leaped out of the window and made his escape.
The same party went to Robert Campbell's on Tuscarora cr., surprised them in the same way, shot them on the floor where they were resting themselves ; one George Dodds being there harvesting, had just risen, and gone into the room and lay down on the bed, setting his gun beside him. When the Indians fired, one of them sprung into the house with his tomahawk in his hand, running up to where a man was standing in the corner ; Dodds fired at the Indian not six feet from him ; the Indian gave a halloo and ran out as fast as he could. There being an opening in the loft above the bed, Dodds sprung up there and went out by the chimney, making his escape, and came to Sherman's valley. He came to Wm. Dickson's and told what had happened, there being a young man there which brought the news to us, who were harvesting at Edward Elliott's ; other intelligence we got in the night. John Graham, John Christy, and James Christy, were alarmed in the evening by guns firing at Wm. Anderson's, where the old man was killed with his Bible in his hand ; supposed he was about worship ; his son also was killed, and a girl that had been brought up from a child by the old people. Graham and the Christys came about midnight. We hearing the Indians had got so far up the Tuscarora valley, and knowing Collins's family and James Scott's were there about harvest, 12 of us concluded to go over Bigham's gap and give those word that were there : when we came to Collins's we saw that the Indians had been there, had broke a wheel, emptied a bed, and taken flour, of which they made some water-gruel; we counted thirteen spoons made of bark ; we followed the tracks down to James Scott's, where we found the Indians had killed some fowls; we pursued on to Graham's, there the house was on fire, and burned down to the joists. We divided our men into two parties, six in each, my brother with his party came in behind the barn, and myself with the other party came down through an oats field ; I was to shoot first; the Indians had hung a coat upon a post on the other side of the fire from us ; I looked at it, and saw it immoveable, and therefore walked down to it and found that the Indians had just left it; they had killed four hogs, and had eaten at pleasure. Our company took their tracks, and found that two companies had met at Graham's, and had gone over the Tuscarora mountain. We took the run gap ; the two roads meeting at Nicholson's, they were there first, heard us coming, and lay in ambush for us ; they had the first fire; being 25 in number, and only 13 of us-they killed five, and wounded myself. They then went to Alexander Logan's, where they emptied some beds, and passed on to George M'Cord's. The names of the 12 were Wm. Robison, who acted as captain, Robert Robison, the relator of this narrative, Thomas Robison, being three brothers, John Graham, Charles Elliott, William Christy, James Christy, David Miller, John Elliott, Edward M'Connel, William M'Alister, and John Nicholson ; the persons killed were William Robison, who was shot in the belly with buckshot, and got about half a mile from the ground ; John Elliott, then a boy about 17 years of age, having emptied his gun, he was pursued by an Indian with his tomahawk, who-was within a few perches of him, when Elliott had poured some powder into his gun by random, out of his powder horn, and having a bullet in his mouth, put it in the muzzle, but had no time to ram it down; he turned and fired at his pursuer, who clapped his hand on his stomach and cried, och ! then turned and fled. Elliott had ran but a few perches further, when he overtook William Robison, weltering in his blood, in his last agonies; he requested Elliott to carry him off, who excused himself by telling him of his inability to do so, and also of the danger they were in ; he said he knew it, but desired him to take his gun with him, and, peace or war, if ever he had an opportunity of killing an Indian, to shoot him for his sake. Elliott brought away the gun, and Robison was not found by the Indians. |
| Thomas Robison stood on the ground until the whole of his people were
fled, nor did the Indians offer to pursue, until the last man left the field
; Thomas having fired and charged a second time, the Indians were prepared
for him, and when lie took aim past the tree, a number fired at him at the
same time; one of his arms was broken ; he took his gun in the other and
fled: going up a hill he came to a high log, and clapped his hand, in which
was his gun, on the log to assist in leaping over it; while in the attitude
of stooping, a bullet entered his side, going in a triangular course through
his body ; he sunk down across the log ; the Indians sunk the cock of his
gun into his brains, and mangled him very much. John Graham was seen by David
Miller sitting on a log, not far from the place of attack, with his hands
on his face, and the blood running through his fingers. Charles Elliott and
Edward M'Connel took a circle round where the Indians were laying, and made
the best of their way to Buffalo creek, but they were pursued by the Indians
j and where they crossed the creek there was a high bank, and as they were
endeavoring to ascend the bank they were both shot, and fell back into the
water.
A party of 40 men came from Carlisle, in order to bury the dead at Juniata ; when they saw the dead at Buffalo creek they returned home. Then a party of men came with Capt. Dunning; but before they came to Alexander Logan's, his son John, Charles Coyle, Wm. Hamilton, with Bartholomew Davis, followed the Indians to George M'Cord's, where they were in the barn; Logan and those with him were all killed, except Davis, who made his escape. The Indians then returned to Logan's house again, when Capt. Dunning and his party came on them, and they fired some time at each other; Dunning had one man wounded. |
| I forgot to give you an account of a murder done at our own fort in Sherman's valley, in July, 1756: the Indians waylaid the fort in harvest-time, and kept quiet until the reapers were gone; James Wilson remaining some time behind the rest, and I not being gone to my business, which was hunting deer for the use of the company, Wilson standing at the fort gate, 1 desired liberty to shoot his gun at a mark, upon which he gave me the gun, and I shot; the Indians on the upper side of the fort, thinking they were discovered, rushed on a daughter of Robert Miller, and instantly killed her, and shot at John Simmeson; they then made the best of it that they could, and killed the wife of James Wilson, and the widow Gibson, and took Hugh Gibson and Betsey Henry prisoners. While the Indian was scalping Mrs. Wilson, the narrator shot at and wounded him, but he made his escape. The reapers, being 40 in number, returned to the fort, and the Indians made off. |
| I shall relate an affair told me by James M'Clung, a man whom I can confide in for truth, it being in his neighborhood. An Indian came to a tavern, called for a gill of whiskey, drank some out of it; when there came another Indian in, he called for a gill also, and set it on the table, without drinking any of it, and took out the first Indian, discoursing with him for some time; the first Indian then stripped himself naked, and lay down on the floor, and stretched himself; the other stood at the door, and when he was ready, he stepped forward with his knife in his hand, and stabbed the Indian who was lying down to the heart; he received the stab, jumped to his feet, drank both the gills of whiskey off, and dropped down dead; the white people made a prisoner of the other Indian, and sent to the heads of the nation ; two of them came and examined the Indian, who was a prisoner, and told them to let him go, he had done right. |
| Bloomfield, the county seat, is a place of recent origin, its site having been a clover-field no longer ago than 1825. It was then selected as the seat, and in four years from that time it boasted, in the words ol the Perry Forester, "29 dwelling-houses, 21 shops and offices, a courthouse and jail-more than half a dozen lawyers, and half as many doctors, with a population of about 220." It now has a population of 412, (by the census of 1840,) a Methodist, a Presbyterian, a Lutheran and German Reformed church, and an academy. It is pleasantly situated, about nine miles from Duncan's island, and six from the canal at Newport, one mile above the forks of the Little Juniata, in the narrow valley between Limestone and Mahoney ridges. The preceding view shows the courthouse and public offices, one of the hotels, and a number of private dwellings in the centre of the town. |
| Millerstown is a large village on the left bank of the Juniata, 10 miles north of Bloomfield, and 15 above Duncan's island. It contains about 80 dwellings, a Presbyterian church, &c. Population in 1840, 371. The town was laid out about the year 1800, or a short time previously. Below the town is a pool formed by a state dam in the Juniata, upon which the canal boats pass by means of an endless rope stretched across the river and passing round a large pulley on each side. One of the pulleys is turned at a given signal by water-power from the canal, which puts the rope in motion with its boat attached. |
| At the mouth of the Juniata there is an elegant bridge, leading from Duncan's island to Petersburg, a pretty village, about a mile below. Separated from Petersburg only by a small stream, the Little Juniata, is Duncannon, a manufacturing village, the site of the extensive iron-works of Messrs. Fisher and Morgan. These works are situated at the mouth of Sherman's cr., and consist of a rolling-mill, employing about 150 hands; and a nailery containing 26 machines, capable of making 800 kegs of nails per week. The Montebello furnace, on Little Juniata, about four miles distant, also pertains to this establishment. It employs about 60 hands. These villages are neatly built with white cottages, interspersed with shade-trees, and presenting a very lively appearance when seen from the canal across the Susquehanna. Behind the town rises a lofty ridge, from which the preceding sketch was taken. Petersburg and Duncannon are seen in the foreground, at the foot of the hill; and beyond, in the distance, are the dam, the long bridge, Duncan's island, and the broad valley of the Susquehanna stretching away among the mountains. From this point may be seen, very distinctly, the ripples across the river, marking the harder strata of rocks in its bed, corresponding with the hard silicious strata in the mountains on either side. |
| Marcus Hulings, who owned Duncan's island, was authorized to erect a
dam and mill at the mouth of Sherman's cr., as early as 15th Sept. 178-1.
The new forge was established by Messrs. Stephen Duncan and John D. Mahon,
in 1839. (For a description and history of Duncan's island, see Dauphin co.)
Liverpool is a large and important town on the Susquehanna, 14 miles above Duncan's island. It contains about 100 dwellings, stores, taverns, &c, and one or more churches. The canal passes along the river bank in front of the town. Quite a brisk trade is carried on here. There are extensive iron-works near the town. Population in 1840, 454. The town was laid out some thirty or forty years since. The scenery on the Susquehanna, opposite this place, is magnificent-sublime description cannot reach it; it must be seen to be appreciated.
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| Landisburg is a large village, on the left bank of Sherman's cr., about
eight miles southwest of Bloomfield. It contains one or two churches, and
about 50 or 60 dwellings. About two miles northwest of this place is situated
the poorhouse of the county.
Newport is quite a large, busy town, on the Juniata canal and river, six miles northeast of Bloomfield. It contained, by the census of 1840, 423 inhabitants. It is the second town, in point of population, in the county. The other villages are New Buffalo, on the Susquehanna, five miles above the mouth of Juniata, containing a Presbyterian church, and a population of 147, by the census of 1840; and Ickesburg, nine miles northwest of Bloomfield, near the Run-gap of Tuscarora mountain, containing some twenty dwellings, and a Presbyterian church in the vicinity. |