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This writing was adapted from a composition by Mr.
Don King for the Susquicentennial celebration.
It was on February 19, 1850, that an act of the
General Assembly of Pennsylvania set the borough of Montoursville apart from Fairfield
Township. That decision has been both celebrated and condemned by persons since that time.
The decision allowed our community to organize for the public good in a manner that the
surrounding countryside was not afforded, but at the same time reduced us to a 4.2 square
mile parcel of real estate that does not include land Madame and Andrew Montour might have
recognized as their home town.
Montoursville is mostly an elevated flood plain; a fact thoroughly
understood by those who may have tried to dig a deep trench or even holes for the
clothesline posts. The community is located at the confluence of the Loyalsock Creek and
the Susquehanna River. Indeed, John Meginniss, who wrote the early history of this part of
the state claimed that the Loyalsock is actually a mountain river. The name is a
corruption of LawiSaquick, meaning the “middle creek.” That signifies that it
flows between Muncy and Lycoming creeks. The “Sock” drains an area of 490 square
miles. Winter snows, drenching rains, steep slopes, narrow valleys, and the folly of man
combine to make the creek at times a very wild stream. It was Conrad Weiser, the Moravian
pioneer and missionary, who early described a swollen Loyalsock, full of ice, and as we
might imagine very dangerous to cross.
Archaeological work done in recent years has demonstrated that for
thousands of years, Indians have visited, inhabited, and worked the land we now call home.
Unearthed in recent years have been keyholes used to store grain, stockades, and many
implements of a fishing and hunting culture in place on this land. On this alluvial land,
Otstonwakin (sometimes spelled differently) was situated. The Indians we honor were the
last of many groups to inhabit the land. The Susquehanna was a mecca for fisherman from
Southeastern Pennsylvania and Delaware. The town of Otstonwakin was basically a Delaware
community. The town was situated on both sides of the creek and extended north to Sand
Hill. Those Indians were actually vassals to the higher Iroquois lords. The mighty
Iroquois were able to control a huge area using an army of about 600 very mobile warriors.
They traveled trails that paralleled the Loyalsock as far as Wallis Run. From there, the
path cut over Jacoby Mountain to Bodines; where it continued north on what later became
Route 14. Access to present New York state may have been easier than believed. The trees
were so tall that brush did not have a chance to grow. As a result, there was much space
on the forest floor for paths to become permanent. It was those roads that were used by
the early Moravian missionaries who attempted to use Madame Montour’s town as their
base of operations.
The matriarch of the Indian community was in reality Elizabeth Couc.
The daughter of Pierre and an unknown Algonkin wife. We know that she married a chief. We
do know that she had a reputation as a leader, and we do know that she was the mother of
Andrew Montour. The name Montour was possibly taken as a business name employed in the fur
trade. She was paid a soldier’s wage to act as an interpreter. Andrew Montour served
as an interpreter for Washington’s forces during the French and Indian war. Madame
Montour probably died at Fort Augusta around 1745. According to the General’s own
accounts, Andrew distinguished himself at Fort Necessity. Reports were that Montour was an
imposing warrior with a prominent European cast. In 1768, Andrew Montour accepted a grant
which included the present Borough of Montoursville. The grant contained 880 acres lying
on both sides of Loyalsock Creek. The original cost of this tract was $193.60, or
approximately 22 cents an acre. Andrew Montour was twice married and fathered two sons,
Nicholas and John. Andrew was award additional lands on the Juniata and on the Ohio in
Western Pennsylvania. There is a Montour High School named for him in that area. He died
prior to 1775.
Continue to CHAPTER 2  |
