Notes of a Journey from Hughsville to Laporte.
Appearance of the County by the Way of Forksville and other Towns.

Daily Gazette and Bulletin
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
October 12, 1877

Transcribed by Nancy Piper
2008

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A correspondent of the Clinton Democrat recently made a pilgrimage into the wilds of Sullivan county, and this is what he writes.

Adieu To Hughsville [sic]

Leaving the valley of the Susquehanna at Hughsville and approaching the spurs of the Alleghenies, fruit of all kinds become abundant, which continues to be the case throughout Sullivan county - apples retailing at 12 ½ cents per bushel. Grazing and the dairy business are made a specialty throughout this picturesque and healthy region, and in a small way everybody seems prosperous and happy suffering but little from the pressure of the times.

A Peep At Laporte

This place is situated on one of the roughest peaks of the Allegheny mountains. It is neither centrealyle [?] nor easily of approach. Its chief attractions are gigantic hemlocks and huge boulders of conglomerate rocks. Mylert, the chief land owner in this vicinity, contributed largely towards the erection of the public buildings, and outbid Forksville and other natural and available points, and hence the location of the county seat at this inauspicious point. The court house is an ordinary wooden building, and excepting a good hotel (Jap Clark's) and Mr M's splendid mansion, there are no inducements for the continuation of this as the shire town. As soon as the legislature acts upon that provision of the new constitution, allowing a vote of the people upon the removal of county seats, Forksville or Dushore will become the capital of Sullivan county.

Lewis' Lake

Midway between Laporte and Forksville and on top of the mountains, lies this splendid sheet of water some four miles in circumference. About three fourths of a century ago a Mr Lewis, an Englishman, located here, built glass works and several residences, all of stone (red shale), felled the timber and charred it into coal for smelting, used the sand from the bed of the lake, and in this way spent a large fortune and produced but a limited quantity of glass in return. The works are now a heap of ruins, reminding one of another Troy washed by the lake instead of the river Scamander. Near these smoldering heaps, and on the banks of these placid waters, are erected several cottages as summer resorts. A peculiar feature of this lake is that while its outlet empties into the Muncy creek on its south side, a tributary of the Loyalsock runs near its northeast side, from which a marsh extends quite to the outlet. A few feet of excavation for a distance of forty rods would turn its waters from the first and empty them into the latter named stream, where they apparently originally belonged.

World's End

Six miles northwest of the lake and two miles southeast of Forksville is the ever to be dreaded World's End. Grand and picturesque beyond description, Here hills peep o'er hills, and alps o'er alps rise. The serpentine course of the Loyalsock is here due south. Breaking through and forming a deep canyon, it rounds a point, or promontory of red shale rocks and scuds away due north for some distance, gradually winding to a southwestern direction till it reaches Forksville where it forms a junction with its more northern branches. The road passed the World's End is on the south side, and, strange as it may seem is constructed on the narrow gauge principle without a single turnout for passing vehicles. Three hundred feet below, nearly perpendicular, bubbles the sable waters of the Loyalsock, on the other side are steep banks of earth or solid rocks. Happy is he who runs this gauntlet without encountering a traveler in an opposite direction.

Forksville

This flourishing village is the business centre of the county. It contains two large stores retailing goods as cheap as at Williamsport, two hotels, a fine flouring mill, and several shops of various manufactories. It is a very healthy and pleasant summer resort, especially during the trout season, the streams abounding with the speckled beauties. Jacob L. Snyder, the gentlemanly and obliging proprietor of the Forksville Hotel, knows exactly how to make his customers feel happy and at home.

Hillsgrove

Nine miles below Forksville, boasts of a large tannery, utilizing a large quantity of bark hitherto of no intrinsic value. Seven miles below this place, near the mouth of Plunkett's creek, is another large tannery in full blast.

Eldredsville

Five miles north of Forksville, and located on the table of grazing lands, contains three stores, doing a fair business. These uplands are fast becoming cleared and utilized, and the general face of the county, dotted over with convenient and in some instances with fancy dwellings, presents a far different [?] to what it did a few years ago. The Barkley coal mine on the Schrader branch of the Towanda creek is but four miles from this place with a tolerably good road leading thereto, affording an easy outlet by rail to much of the surplus produce now being raised.