Historians report that the circuit riding preacher made his appearance in the North and West Branches of the Susquehanna Valley almost as soon as the settlers had arrived. Their lives were difficult, filled with hardship and rejection, but later rewarded when the seeds (of the Gospel of Christ) they planted resulted in converts and churches.
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An 1875 newspaper interview with one of the oldest settlers of the West Branch Valley provided valuable insight into the trials and hardships of pioneer life. At the time, James Caldwell had spent seventy years in that section of northern Pennsylvania.
American landscape artist T. Addison Richards took an 1853 journey on the Susquehanna River, sketching scenery and providing his thoughts during stops along the way. His work appeared in Volume seven of Harper's Weekly magazine that year. This story includes his perspective on parts of the middle Susquehanna Valley.
Pennsylvania certainly stands prominently among the states that produce musicians and songwriters, including many of Christianity's most famous hymnwriters. We feature another composer from northern Pennsylvania, Daniel B. Towner, a native of Bradford County, who is best known for providing the music for "Trust and Obey," inspired by the testimony of a young man at a Dwight L. Moody revival in Massachusetts.
The arrival of a circus was always a big event in towns throughout the Susquehanna Valley. The Walter L. Main Circus was headed to Lewistown ,, Pennsylvania, when disaster struck on the Tyrone and Clearfield Railroad in Blair County. The entourage crashed and derailed four miles from Tyrone, resulting in both human and animal injuries and deaths.
Before the Revolutionary War began, Phillip Maus acquired hundreds of acres in the Susquehanna Valley. According to a November 1768 treaty with the Iroquois Indians, the area now known as Montour County became part of a large tract of central Pennsylvania available for settlement. On April 3, 1769, the earliest date purchases could be made, Phillip Maus secured patents from Thomas and John Penn, sons of William Penn, for 600 acres along Mahoning Creek.
Mark 15:16 (English Standard Version) states, “And he (Jesus) said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’” These words, spoken by Jesus after His resurrection, form part of the Great Commission, encouraging His followers to spread the Gospel. While some Christians use their talents and gifts locally, others, like Dr. Elizabeth Reifsnyder of Perry County, a trailblazing medical missionary to China, devote their lives to sharing Christ's love abroad.
The move for a ten-hour work day began in June 1872 in the lumber mills in northcentral Pennsylvania was characterized by frequent public meetings at which the speakers urged the men to go on strike. This finally culminated in a large number of men walking out on July 1, 1872. Many of the mills were compelled to shut down on account of a depleted force until July 10, when an attempt was made to start up the mills, but without success. This precipitated the "Sawdust War."
The Soundex name indexing system is still widely in use, and is credited as a precursor of the search engines of the 21st century, which makes Robert C. Russell, a Montour County, Pennsylvania native, a pioneer who provided one of the many “bricks” in the foundation of the field of digital technology.
"Battalion Day" Or "Militia Day" was once an annual event, required by law. Just after the Revolution, a law had been passed requiring all men subject to military duty to assemble once a year in their respective districts, to be enrolled, and to undergo a sort of perfunctory drill. Some men carried broomsticks, pitchforks, and shelalies. This annual drill, called Battalion Day, soon turned into a holiday, with all citizens turning out for the local gathering in towns throughout the Susquehanna Valley.
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