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Clearfield County Boroughs
Grampian Hills, now called Grampian, was named by Dr. Samuel Coleman for its resemblance to very similar hills located Scotland. Grampian was first settled in 1805 by Quakers. The borough is located west of Curwensville. Kylertown was a coal mining town, as were many others, because of the coal beds. The town is located in Morris Township, east of Clearfield. Lumber City comes by its name naturally for the wealth of business in the lumber industry. It is located along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, southwest of Curwensville. The river provided great lumber shipments by many vehicles. Arks, known at that time as lumber boats or rafts, were once built to ship the lumber to various points along the river. During the flood season, the lumber yards would flourish with a wealth of shipments. Lumber City was established in 1857 and incorporated the following year. New Washington was an enterprising town that was created in 1859. The town is located in Burnside Township, east of Burnside Borough. Wallaceton was one of the many railroad stops along the Tyrone & Clearfield Railroad. The small village was laid out in 1868 but wasn't incorporated until 1873. It is located in Boggs Township and southeast of Clearfield Borough. Clearfield County Townships
Clearfield County State Parks
S. B. Elliot State Park is located off of Exit 111, formerly Exit 18, of Interstate 80. In 1933, the park was dedicated in honor of Honorable Simon B. Elliot who was a member of both the Pennsylvania Legislature and the State Forestry Reservation Commission, the predecessor to Department of Forestry. He was one of the states' earliest conservationists who continued to promote the idea of tree nursery's to encourage rebuilding the forests. In the S. B. Elliot Park's early days, it was a mountain top rich with pine and hemlock trees. During the 1800's into the early 1900's, lumber was a great and wealthy industry, much like computers and electronics are today. During the early 1900's, the Central Pennsylvania Lumber Company and the Goodyear Lumber Company had built numerous roads and railroads, which can still be seen today, that led to this mountain top and harvested nearly this entire forest section. Once the mountain top was bare, the companies swiftly "picked up shop" and moved on. After some time, the land was eventually sold to the Pennsylvania Commonwealth at a tax sale. Because of Simon B. Elliot's vision, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania established the Clearfield Forest Tree Nursery that resided in the Penfield Mountain Top pasture. The nursery was quickly renamed for District Forester William F. Dague, the individual in charge of the nursery's operation from its beginning in 1911 until 1947. The Dague Nursery remained in operation until 1978, however the buildings are still in use by the Moshannon State Forest maintenance headquarters. The seed orchards are still being used in the park to provide seeds for other statewide nurseries. The panaromic photo above is the rear view of three historic structures that remain standing and maintained to this day. The left building is Civilian Conservation Corps built Headquarters. The middle building is the lodge and the building on the right is now a tool shed, formerly another log cabin. Photograph courtesy of wikipedia.org.
Parker Dam State Park tells a tale of the lumbering industry that begins before the 1800's. Lumbering was the big business back then and many timbers were cut for premium prices. The tall logs were where the highest prices were paid because they were used to build sturdy ship masts. Loggers, also known as woodhicks, normally worked during the winter months to provide easier log hauling from the timbered site to the river. Along the riverside, loggers would tie several logs together for a make-shift raft and float the rafts on the West Branch of the Susquehanna to Baltimore, Maryland. In 1851, Williamsport built a logging boom that accelerated logging and shipment of the logs to the sawmill. To do this, the "woodhicks" created wooden log slides that would send the chopped and trimmed trees down to waiting pools. These pools were then released during the spring season and the logs would float down the Laurel Run to Bennett's Branch waterways, then to the Sinnemahoning Creek, and finally into the West Branch of the Susquehanna River where it traveled to the Williamsport log boom to be processed and milled for various requirements. These pools were managed by "splash dams." William Parker leased lumbering rights from John Otto and built a splash dam on Laurel Run, near the present dam location. The Williamsport log boom was later dismantled in 1911 due to the more popular locomotive. Railroads were built near logging sites to get the logs to sawmills even more rapidly and efficiently than floating rafts or several logs to mills or booms. Because of the locomotive and railroad cars, logging rapidly spread like wildfire. Forests were cut and recut until they were nearly bare fields. Because of the baren lands, floods and fires constantly plagued these areas. Around the year 1930, United States of America President Franklin Delano Roosevelt began a conservation movement that employed young men to restore the nation's natural resources. Mr. Roosevelt called it the Civilian Conservation Corps, CCC, and it's intent was to also help people during the Great Depression. Parker Dams current location was constructed in 1933 and made of the native sandstone. The CCC boys established camp at this time called Camp S-73. During their stay, they planted trees, built roads, trails, stone pavilions, the CCC Interpretive Center located near the dam, and continued improvements. The CCC name was changed to the Works Progress Administration and continued on the tradition until 1941 when most of the men were drafted for World War II. Today, the park is home to camping, fishing, hunting, BBQing, hiking, nature education, sunbathing, and swimming for the local area. The photo is courtesy of Outhome.com If you have any information to add or if there is an error to the above information, please feel free to contact us at clfd@clearfield-county.com. The township photos are courtesy of www.wikipedia.org. |
Beautiful
Clearfield County was formed by parts of Lycoming and Huntingdon Counties
and was organized by the Act of Assembly on March 26, 1804.
Burnside
is situated directly north of Cherry Tree and is the namesake of the township.
The borough was incorporated in 1874. As with much of the little towns
throughout Clearfield County, this town was thriving and rich during the late
1800s and early 1900s with lumber. Now, this small town is only known for
the sprawling farmland. Currently, there are approximately 500 residents
of Burnside.
Clearfield Borough, located nearly in the center of Clearfield County
and is the county seat, began when Daniel Ogden, in 1797, first saw this land and saw that the cleared fields were covered by buffalo grass. He noticed that the bison herds didn't seem
to harm the growth of this grass. In hopes of obtaining his own supply of
hay, he fenced in the area and cut the grass. After cutting the buffalo
grass, it never grew back. This resulted in the bison leaving the area.
Curwensville
is located southwest of Clearfield Borough and is named for the land that John
Curwen founded and occupied in 1799. John Curwen is originally from
Montgomery County and was actually never a true citizen of Clearfield
County. Curwensville became the second borough of Clearfield County in
1851. This quaint town was one of the many lumbering cities that
flourished financially, mainly due to the access to the West Branch of the
Susquehanna River.
Du Bois,
the original spelling of the city, was originally known as Rumbarger. This
city was originally settled in 1812 and incorporated as a borough in 1881.
Frenchville
was settled in 1835 by a couple of
French settlers, however, M. Zavron from Paris, France, had failed to pay a
certain debt to his Philadelphia based agent, John Keating. Because of
this, John Keating acquired land, now known as Frenchville, to pay for M.
Zavron's debt. M. Zavron had a German agent aid him in immigrating
families to this town to settle the land. Originally, the town language
was a dialect called North American French, also known as moribund. Photo
by Barbara Bullock via the
Houtzdale
is located west of Osceola Mills in Woodward Township. The town gets its
name from Dr. Houtz, the original owner of the land, but was actually developed
by a well known business man, at the time, G. N. Brisbin. The borough of
Houtzdale was built out necessity due to the wealth of coal beds and the
business it brought to the town. Houtzdale was rapidly organized as a
borough in 1871 because of its growth.
Luthersburg,
named after a Massachusetts native Lebbeus Luther who bought the property in
1820, is located in Brady Township, south of Du Bois. Luthersburg was
known mostly as a German settlement.
Osceola Mills,
once known as Osceola, was a very thriving town with the Tyrone & Clearfield
Railroad directly connected to this borough. Osceola Mills was actually
laid out by Centre County parties, in 1859 that were primarily interested in the
vastness of pine and hemlock lumber forests. Along with the forests, there
was a great source of coal beds that laid under those forests. It was
established as a borough in 1864. Osceola Mills is located along Centre
County in Decatur Township.
Bell Township resides north of Burnside Township and was named for the
first settlers, the Arthur Bell Jr. family. This little township is famous
for having the only covered bridge crossing over the West Branch of the
Susquehanna River.
Bigler
Township named after the Honorable William Bigler, former Governor of PA,
the township was formed from the surrounding townships of Woodward, Beccaria,
Knox, and Geulich. Documents and research argue the actual year the
township was formed whether 1881 or 1883.
Bloom Township was given its name for the numerous Bloom Families that
resided in Clearfield County. The township is located west of Pike
Township and east of Brady Township with its earliest settlers being Judge and
James Bloom, Isaac Draucker, and Isaac Rodden.
Boggs Township, located south of Bradford Township, gets its name from
Associate Judge Boggs. The first settlers were Jacob Haney, Quaker George
Wilson, Nimrock Derrick, John Wisor, Philip Bennihoof, Henry Shimes, Adsalom
Timms, George Turner, and Peter Young.
Bradford Township is located east of Clearfield Boro and Lawrence
Township and is named after General Bradford, a Pennsylvanian surveyor.
Bradford Township was best known for its agricultural community and the wealth
of coal deposits. The earliest settlers were Ross, John Kyle, Conrad Kyle,
George Kyle, Jacob Kyle, Benjamin Smeal, George Smeal, John Graham, William
Graham, the Mains Family, Thomas Forcey, Samuel Harrier, Cæsar Poter, and Henry
Funk.
Brady Township, located along the northwestern part of Clearfield County,
got its name from Captain Samuel Brady. Capt. Brady was known as the first
"white man" to settle in the area with the Native Americans.
From the formation of Brady Township, the town of Luthersburg and the city DuBois
were created.
Burnside Township, located on the southwestern corner of Clearfield
County, was organized from a part of Chest Township. The first settlers to
Burnside Township were Senator James Gallaher, Senator John Byers, Ludwick
Snyder, and Jacob Lee.
Chest Township, located east of Burnside Township, was given its name for
the Chest Creek that flows through the township. The original settlers to
Chest Township were Thomas Wilson, Elias Hurd, Rorabaugh, Neff, Samuel McKewen,
James Curry, and Jacob Pentico.
Covington Township is known for its thriving French Settlement that
originates back to 1835. The township is located west of Karthaus Township
and was settled by John Smith, the Jacob Family, the Jones Family, the Brown
Family, and the Gearheart Family.
Decatur Township is located south of Boggs Township and is best known
for the anthracite coal deposits that were chiefly used for locomotive and
steamship uses. Decatur Township is named for Commodore Stephen
Decatur. The earliest settlers were Revolutionary War soldier of 1799
Abram Goss, John Crowell, Daniel Huffman, and Valentine Flegal.
Ferguson Township, located northwest of Jordan Township and northeast of
Chest Township, was organized from the original Pike and Beccaria
Townships. The township's name comes from John Ferguson Sr., one of the
earliest pioneers to the township. Arthur Bell was actually the original
settler to Ferguson Township, arriving around the year 1797.
Geulich, today spelled Gulich, Township was made in honor of G. Philip
Geulich. Judge James Burnside called him a "great friend of religion
and morals." Gulich Township is located on the southeastern corner of
Clearfield County. It is also among the list of earlier coal producing and
lumber yielding townships of its earlier days. The earliest settlers were
Abram Nevling, Amasa Smith, Lisle McCully, Joseph McCully, Schooly Scott, and
the Ginter Family. The township has the highest
percentage of Ukranian ancestors in the county at over 12%.
Girard Township was mostly an agricultural community and derives its
name in memory of Stephen Girard. The township is located north of
Bradford Township and west of Covington Township. The original pioneers to
settle here were Thomas Leonard, John Spackman, Abram Jury, George B. Smith,
Peter Lamb, and Augustus and Alphonse Leconte.
Goshen Township, located east of Lawrence and west of Girard Townships,
and gets its name from one of the earliest settlers William Leonard believing
that this land was "a land flowing with milk and honey." The
land consisted of many groves of timber in the north and farmers found great
return from the land and was held in high regards with Mr. Leonard's name
Goshen. The first settlers were Mr. Leonard, Jacob Flegal, and Robert
Shaw.
Graham Township, located east of Bradford Township, was first settled by
Samuel Turner, the Mains Family, Edmund Williams, Jacob Hubler, Basil Crowell,
Conrad Kyler, and William Hitchins. The township is named in honor of
James B. Graham.
Greenwood Township is the last township to be organized in Clearfield
County. The name is derived from Greenwood Bell, one of the earliest
settlers to this area. Other pioneers included Dr. Hoyt and Lewis Smith.
Huston Township was named after the first judge of Clearfield County,
Judge Charles Huston. The township is located in the northwest corner of
Clearfield County and was known for being the best place for agricultural
wealth. The first settlers were Isaac Wilson, John Hewitt, Thomas Bliss,
Martin Nichols, the Bundy Family, and the Lamb Family. Huston Township
also houses Parker Dam State Park.
Karthaus
Township, located in the northeast corner of Clearfield County, is best
known for its immense bed of iron ore and the coke furnace in which the
manufacturing of pig iron was made. The township is named after Peter Arns
Karthaus, one of the earliest settlers who owned a majority of the land.
Among Mr. Karthaus, there was J. F. W. Schnarrs, Henry Buck Graham, and Yothers
and Conoway.
Knox Township is located directly north of present day Beccaria
Township. Knox Township was originally included in Beccaria Township until
the formation of Jordan Township. The township was named in honor of
presiding Judge Knox, in 1853. During Knox and Jordan Township's
beginning, the original owners Peters, Rowls, and Morgan offered an incentive to
anyone that settled in the two townships, 50 acres of land for free.
People could purchase an additional 50 acres of land for a low price.
James Rea, Hegerty, James McKee, and Robert Patterson were among the first
settlers to take advantage of this great bargain.
Lawrence Township,
located on the northern edge of the West Branch of Susquehanna River, was named
after Commodore Lawrence. The original relationship to Clearfield County
and the Susquehanna River was that it was the agriculture region for the
area. The first settlers were Jacob Haney, Archibald Shaw, John Owens,
William Tate, Henry and John Irwin, Alexander Irvin, Solomon and John Kline,
Hugh McMullen, Isaac Goom, Alexander B. and James Reed, Thomas, William, James,
Alexander, and Amos Reed
Morris Township, situated to the east of Boggs Township, was best known
for its coal works and large shipping yards. Morris Township was named
after Robert Morris. The first settlers to the township were Leonard
and Abram Kyler, David Cooper, Jacob Gearheart, Jacob Wise, James Seport, and
William Shimel.
Penn Township is comfortably situated to the east of Bell Township and
northwest of Ferguson Township. The township was originally part of Pike
Township but was made an independent township for the original settlers, the
Quakers, because of the jealousy which formed because of being located in a
different part of Pike Township. The presiding Judge Burnside liked the
Quakers and permitted that there be a new township.
Pike Township, located northwest of Lawrence Township, was named after
General Zebulon Pike. Pike, along with several other townships, were
chiefly lumbering areas, however that industry began to fade in the
1870's. The original settlers to Pike Township were Paul Clover, Thomas
McClure, the Blooms, William McNaul, Elisha Fenton, John Smith, Robert Ross,
Samuel Caldwell, William Dunlap, the Hartshorns, Robert Maxwell, Dr. Hoyt, James
McCracken, the Roll Family, Hugh Hall, John Irvin, and William and Daniel
Barrett.
Pine Township is located east of Union and north of Pike Townships and
gets its name from the wealth of pine trees.
Sandy
Township is named after the Sandy Lick Creek which traverses through and was
formed in 1878 from portions of Brady, Huston, and Union townships.
According to 
Union Township derived its name from the "union" of Pike and
Brady Townships. It is located south of Huston, east of Brady, and north
of Bloom Townships. Lumbering and agriculture, as with other townships,
were the chief industries during the township's formation. The earliest
settlers were John Brubaker, Wilson Moore, Jacob Burns, and Laborde.
Woodward Township named after Supreme Court Judge Woodward is located to
the west of Decatur Township. The township, like Decatur, Morris, and
other townships, was known for its coal beds and lumbering production. The
first inhabitants were Samuel and Henry Heggerty.
