A Look at Several Towns in the Middle Susquehanna Valley in 1851 As Seen by a Philadelphia Businessman
What were some of the small towns like, as seen through the eyes of a businessman who traveled throughout Pennsylvania? A journal in the records of Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia contains the diaries of a businessman from that city, who wrote about his life for nearly thirteen years.
Joseph Warner Erwin noted his activities almost daily throughout his life. Warner Erwin was a conveyancer, a 19th-century term for a writer of deeds, leases, property transfers, real estate agreements, and other legal matters. His journal covered the years from 1839 to 1853, from age 14 to 29, that include his marriage in 1850 and the responsibility of a daughter a year later.
The Philadelphia man described mid-nineteenth century living in the city, trips throughout the country by steamship, rail and carriage, as well as numerous social events.
One of his trips in November of 1851 included stops in the mid-Susquehanna Valley. He was very direct in his descriptions of towns from Shickshinny all the way to McKees Half Falls.
“After leaving Wilkes-Barre, the country as far as Shickshinny is wild and in great measure uncultivated, but soon afterwards we came into the midst of fine farms and handsome improvements. Many of the houses are of brick and of the largest class, while the barns and outbuildings are numerous, large and in fine order. The road from our dining place to this place, "Harmans," has been excellent, though previously quite rough and stony. We noticed quite a number of coal openings down as far as Shickshinny, but after that coal appears to be scarce for mining.
“We are now at Harman's in Columbia County (Believed to reference Samuel Harman, proprietor of the Half-Way House between Bloomsburg and Berwick), having passed out of Luzerne County some distance above here. We had a nice, clean and comfortable room, nice beds very clean and comfortable, almost as nice as at home. I was much pleased with the general appearance of everything. Spent the evening smoking, writing my journal, &c.
5 November 1851. “Clear early in the morning and quite cold and considerable ice, the 1st I have seen this year. It soon clouded over and in the course of the afternoon we had some snow. Continued quite raw and cold all day. Got up at about 6 a.m. had an excellent breakfast about 7, and at about 1/2 past 7 bid farewell to "Harman's" and drove on down the river.
“We first passed through a little cluster of houses called Egypttown (possibly Espytown, present-day Espy, Columbia County].inhabited principally by boatmen & their families. We are now in the Limestone region, or what is called Lime Ridge, commencing at our stopping place of last night. We are entirely out of the coal region. 2 miles from Egyptown and 6 miles from Harmans, we arrived at Bloomsburg, the County town of Columbia County. It is 40 miles from Wilkes-Barre and situated on the North Branch of the Susquehanna. It is a town of considerable importance, and I should suppose contains some 2500 inhabitants. There is a bridge across the Susquehanna at this place. We remained here about an hour, stopping in at several places among which was McElvey's store, where they appeared to be driving a pretty large business. The store was large and crowded with customers. (The Columbia County Historical and Genealogical Society identifies McKelvy as a successful merchant who opened a general store on the southeast corner of Market Square in 1816. He also built a warehouse beside the North Branch Canal, just west of Market Street along West Ninth Street, in the early 1830s. Both businesses therefore predated Erwin’s 1851 visit.
“After leaving Bloomsburg, drove on down the river and stopped at a sawmill about 2 miles out of last-named place at which Bonnell had some business. (Alexander Bonnell is listed as a merchant at 129 High Street, Philadelphia, in McElroy’s 1851 city directory. The same directory lists Wurts, Bonnell & Co., dry goods merchants, at that address. He may have been conducting business with storekeepers.)
“While I was waiting for him & sitting in the carriage, an old lady and gentleman came driving along. Just as he got opposite to my carriage his horse sheared & gave a spring which brought his carriage in contact with a piece of timber lying on the side of the road, which broke both of his shafts, and pitched the old man out, but fortunately did him no perceptible injury.
“Arrived at Catawissa bridge, 4 miles below Bloomsburg at about 1/2 past 10, concluded to cross and see the town, which was not much. It appears to be quite dull and nothing doing. They charged toll enough in all conscience for crossing their bridge, more than it was worth to see their inactive town, being 19 cents each way.
“From Catawissa we had a pleasant ride of 8 miles down to Danville over an excellent road, and through a beautiful and well-improved and apparently a well cultivated country. Danville is quite a large place and a town of considerable importance noted principally for its extensive Rolling mills, and Iron furnaces. It is situated directly on the Susquehanna, in the midst of a small valley which it nearly occupies. It is surrounded on all sides by lofty and picturesque hills, from which the iron ore used in the furnaces is obtained. We stopped at the first good-looking hotel we came to but were deceived by outward appearances as we got a most miserable dinner, in fact no dinner at all. We afterwards learned that we should have stopped at the "Montour House." The house we stopped at was on the street upon which the Montour House stands at the corner of, but on the opposite side of same.
“After our apology for dinner, went around to Mr. Richardson's store according to appointment (having seen him a few minutes before dinner) when he took us out to look over the town. (J. O. Richardson, a Danville hardware merchant.) We first visited the "Rough and Ready" Rolling mill, in which, among other things, I saw the operation of making railroad iron spikes. They were cut, headed, and pointed by a single machine at the rate of some 40 or 50 a minute, by means of an ingenious piece of machinery.
“We next visited the great "Montour Iron Works," the largest, I suppose, in the county. These works go through the whole operation of manufacturing iron from the ore into railroad iron. Saw them making several large T rails while in the mill. These works manufacture a great part, if not all, of the Pennsylvania Central Road iron. We left Danville at about 10 m. of 3 and started for Milton distant 15 miles. We here leave the North branch of the Susquehanna to go over to the West branch. In going out of Danville we passed over the North branch canal, and back of the Montour Ridge of hills or mountains, through a very beautiful and well improved country, with fine houses, barns and outbuildings. Six miles out of Danville we passed through a small town called Mooresburg, a tolerable nice looking little town, but with but little apparent activity. Arrived at Milton, 67 miles from Wilkes-Barre and 12 miles above Northumberland at about 1/2 past 5. It was just dark as we arrived and therefore can say but little of the town tonight. Put up at the "Spread Eagle Hotel" kept by Eckbert. (The 1876 History of Northumberland County mentions a Mr. Eckbert who had kept the “Spread Eagle Tavern” at Milton.) Had a very good supper of coffee, buckwheat cakes, beef steak, &c. The house appears to be clean and well kept. Our room was a very fine one, with clean beds, &c.
6 November 1851. “Clear during the early part of the morning but towards 11 a.m. clouded over, continued cloudy, rainy and cold all day. Noticed ice in the puddles this morning. Got up this morning at about 1/4 of 7, dressed, and got a very good breakfast at about 7 1/2 o'clock, after which took a walk around to see the town. It is quite a pretty place situated on the West branch of the Susquehanna in Northumberland County and appears to have some considerable business, and quite a number of fine stores. It contains some 1600 or 1700 inhabitants. A bridge crosses the Susquehanna at this town.
“After Bonnell had attended to his business, or at about 1/2 past 9, we started down the river, after a pleasant drive of about 4 miles along an excellent road. There is a bridge over the West branch of the Susquehanna to Lewisburg, Union County. We left our horse at the tavern and crossed the bridge on foot to Lewisburg. It is quite a large and flourishing town with quite a large number of fine brick stores, churches &c. It has also a large Baptist seminary, and an extensive boat yard for the building of canal boats.
“We spent some hour and a half going to various stores or businesses in that place. Its population is some 2600. After fully satisfying ourselves with a view of the town we returned to where we left our carriage, and drove on down to Northumberland, distant 8 miles. We went down in little over an hour, though the road in some spots was quite heavy, sandy and hilly. We stopped in Northumberland at Burrs Hotel where we got a tolerable good dinner, though dinner was just over. (The inn may refer to an establishment now occupied by the Priestley-Forsyth Memorial Library at 100 King Street. The library’s own history says the building operated as the Cross Keys Inn from 1829 to 1864, was run by Theodore Burr, and later became known as the Central Hall Hotel. Its documented operating period includes Erwin’s visit.) The town appears to be in quite a dilapidated condition, no life, no business, no activity; in fact, the town seems to have been finished and gone to decay. The only fine building that I noticed was the bank. It has three fine bridges, two crossing the North Branch; that is the two bridges form but one passage across the North Branch, as there is quite a large island in the center, so that the first bridge crosses to the island and the other to the main shore. The other bridge crosses the West branch. All three bridges are quite long.
“After dinner we thought we would take a walk over to Sunbury and consequently crossed the two bridges and the island over the North branch, but when we got over found it was nearly or over a mile to Sunbury, so we gave up the idea. We returned to Northumberland, had our horse put to, and started on down the river. At Northumberland the North and West branches of the Susquehanna meet and join into one large and beautiful stream. The scenery is quite romantic and beautiful. Directly opposite Northumberland, there is a large and beautiful mountain, rising as it were directly out of the river to the height of some 800 or 1000 feet, with a bold rocky and precipitous front equal in grandeur to the far-famed palisades of the North River. Upon leaving Northumberland we crossed the West branch and drove along a beautiful and level road directly along the foot of the mountain above spoken of, with the towering rocks hanging above us.
“Two miles below Northumberland on the opposite side of the river we saw the town of Sunbury, looking very pretty from our position but I am told it is equally in a dilapidated condition with Northumberland. After a drive of about 8 miles over a delightful road, leading the greater part of the distance along the bank of the Susquehanna through a very romantic and beautiful country with beautiful mountains with bold and precipitous and rocky points, we arrived at the pretty and thriving town of Selinsgrove, Union County. Spent some half hour at this place while Bonnell attended some matters of business. It is situated directly on the banks of the Susquehanna River and the canal. After leaving Selinsgrove, we passed along the banks of a very pretty stream called Penn's Creek. We continued along the banks of this creek for some distance and finally came out again upon the banks of the broad and beautiful Susquehanna. We continued on for the distance of 12 miles and after a delightful ride over a very fine road through beautiful and romantic country we arrived at a roadside tavern called "McKees Half Falls House" situated directly on the banks of the canal and Susquehanna River.”
During his extensive journaling, Erwin wrote about his leisure, especially before his marriage. He often attended different churches and denominations, sometimes twice on Sunday, but he was not an especially religious man. He and his wife, whom we mentioned, married in 1850 and had two daughters.
J. Warner Irwin died on October 27, 1890, at the age of sixty-six and is buried in Woodlands Cemetery in Philadelphia.