southwestern part of the county, as an agent for Mr. Benjamin Morris, who owned lands in that region. He was accompanied by his brotherin-law, Mr. Mordecai Jackson, then a young lad. On Mr. Norris's arrival, he erected a grist and saw mill, on the waters of Little Pine creek, just within the boundary of Lycoming county. This establishment was generally known as Morris's mills. The country was then a complete wilderness, and in traversing its wilds these first adventurers endured the many hardships incident to a pioneer's life; such as sleeping on the ground in the open air, often without fire-searching for the blazes on the trees, at night, to find the way through the forest-and travelling long journeys for their provisions, to the older settlements, for one or two years after their first arrival. These hardships were doubly severe to young men, reared among the comforts and luxuries of Philadelphia. After remaining at Morris's mills for five or six years, and inducing some half dozen settlers to immigrate, Mr. Norris removed to the vicinity of the Big Marsh; and subsequently, in 1807, to the place where he now lives, within a mile of Wellsborough. The mill at that place had been built the year previous, (1806,) by Samuel W. Fisher, of Philadelphia; and the same year the county seat was fixed at Wellsborough. Among the first settlers, at or near Wellsborough, besides Mr. Norris, were Benjamin W. Morris, David Linsey, Alpheus Cheney, and Daniel Kelsey, Esq.

WELLSBOROUGH, the county seat, is located near the centre of the county, three miles from the navigable waters of Pine creek, on the great stateroad, passing through the northern range of counties. The north and south road, from the mouth of Lycoming creek to the 109th mile-stone, on the state line, also passes through the place. The village is built upon level ground, on a long and wide street, sheltered on the north and east by high hills. There existed, for many years, a great strife for the removal of the county seat. The towns on the Tioga and Cowanesque, appearing to be most favored with the increase of population and improvement, contended for the removal; and settlers were consequently

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diverted from selecting a location at or near Wellsborough. This had a blighting effect upon the place; and in 1831 the village paper describes the place as containing only " 40 or 50 indifferent dwelling-houses, a courthouse and jail, of no very reputable appearance," &c., &c. At length, in 1835, a majority of the citizens of the county authorized the erection of the new stone courthouse and county offices, which confirmed to the place its title as the seat of justice.

Since that time it has greatly improved, and many new frame buildings have been erected: among them an Episcopal and a Methodist church, in a very neat style of architecture. There is also an academy. The private dwellings are built with much taste, and even some of the stores and taverns exhibit the tasteful proportions of Grecian architecture. Pleasant front yards, gardens, and green blinds indicate the origin of the population, from New York and New England. The courthouse, seen on the left, in the annexed view, is a fine edifice of white sandstone, surmounted with a cupola. A tri-weekly stage runs to Covington, 12 miles east. Population in 1840. 369. Coal has been discovered about seven miles south of the borough.

COVINGTON is a large and flourishing village, at the intersection of the great state-road with the Tioga river. The railroad of the Tioga Navigation Co. also passes through the village. Mr. Washburn, Mr. Elijah Putnam, and Mr. Mallory settled at Covington "corners," previous to 1806. Mr. Bloss and Mr. Hovey had settled about the year 1801, two miles below; and Mr. Sacket also lived near the same place. The land titles were for a long time in dispute between the Connecticut and Pennsylvania claimants. When at last they were settled in favor of the Pennsylvanians, or "Pennamites," as the "Connecticut boys" called them, Mr. William Patten came in as their agent, and laid out the town, about the year 1822, and started a store and tavern. For some years the place increased very slowly, and was only known as "The Corners." In 1831 it assumed the dignity of a borough; soon afterwards the great fever of internal improvement and speculation began to rise, and Covington, being an important point, rose with it.

Lands both for farming and timber, and town lots, were eagerly taken up, and passed from hand to hand, sometimes doubled and trebled in value at each transfer; coal mines and iron mines were opened, and water-powers were sought out and improved; saw-mills, furnaces, houses, stores, and taverns, went up as if by magic; bank notes poured in from New York and Towanda, and everybody seemed to be getting rich. But at length, in 1841-42, the bubble burst-bank notes melted in the hand, property became unsaleable, and the whole community embarrassed. The fever had subsided, and left in its place a hard-shaking ague.

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The following tragic tale is copied from the newspapers of Feb. 1842, and will serve to explain much of the embarrassment that has overtaken Covington and the vicinity.

Philadelphia, 17th Feb. 1842. This morning, at about 6 o'clock, Mr. J. G. Boyd, late cashier and agent of the Towanda Bank, killed himself, at his residence in Schuylkill Seventh-st., by firing a loaded pistol into his mouth. Previously to his late dismissal as the cashier of the bank, it was ascertained that he had, as the signing officer of the relief issues of that bank, put out some thousands of dollars on his own account. The Penn Township Bank, one of the losers by this fraudulent issue, and by some of his other transactions, had commenced a suit against him and it was while in the custody of the sheriff, and when he saw that the whole fraud must be ex

posed, that he committed the melancholy act. About two years since he had married an interesting young lady at Trenton, New Jersey, and was keeping house with her at the time of his suicide in Philadelphia. He had furnished this house splendidly-had settled upon his wife a farm near Germantown, worth about $8000, and had made many munificent presents to her rela tives. But it appears that all this time he had another wife, a most estimable lady, at Covington, Tioga co., by whom he had several children, and with whom he was living on most affectionate terms, whenever his business called him to that vicinity. With his Philadelphia wife he passed as Mr. Henry Seymour-represented himself as a drover having large transactions with the inte rior counties, and often spoke of his intimate friend Mr. John G. Boyd. So adroitly was the deception maintained, that neither of these unfortunate ladies ever suspected the least impropriety in his conduct, or alienation of his affections.

Mr. Boyd had come out from the state of New York to Tioga and Bradford counties some three or four years since. He was a man of about 35 years of age, with a gentlemanly, but plain and business-like exterior,-exhibiting extraordinary tact and readiness in matters of business, and a good degree of common sense, apparently, in the management of his enterprises. Although comparatively a stranger, yet so plausible was his address, that he soon gained the confidence of wealthy men, who intrusted him with means to enter largely into the lumber business, and afterwards into the iron business, and coal land speculations in Tioga county. He had several large mills near Covington, a furnace at Blossburg, and was engaged in many of the most prominent schemes for improving these two places. His business led him into intimate connection with the Towanda Bank; and he was successively appointed clerk, agent for the transaction of the bank's business in Philadelphia, and cashier. The latter office, after the credit of the bank began to decline, he was compelled to give up. He still, however, secretly continued his fraudulent issues of Towanda relief notes in Philadelphia, until a short time previous to the tragic close of his career.

Covington, however, though shocked and thrown back by this calamity, added to the ordinary embarrassment of the times, still has many advantages for becoming a prosperous town,-particularly an extensive farming and lumbering country constantly opening to the west of it, which finds here the most convenient depot for its produce and lumber. Quite a brisk business is still done. No church has yet been erected in the place. The Presbyterians worship in a school-house. The Baptists and Methodists have it in contemplation to erect churches soon. The extensive lumber establishment of Boyd & Clever is about half a mile below the town.

BLOSSBURG took its name from the aged Mr. Aaron Bloss, (now of Covington,) who originally settled here and owned the property. Before Mr. Bloss removed here, about the year 1802, one Gaylord, a worthless fellow, had kept a tavern. Mr. Bloss removed from near Covington, and bought him out. The place at that time went by the name of "Peter's camp." This Peters was a German, who did the baking in an immense oven for the large company of German redemptioners at work on the Blockhouse road. Peters was not remarkable for cleanliness of person; and his comrades, unable any longer to tolerate his filth, caught him and commenced the necessary ablution by pouring sundry buckets of cold water upon his head, stroking and smoothing down his hair in a becoming manner, and were about to complete the process by putting him into the river, when the superintendent of the road interfered.

Blossburg is situated on the Tioga river, at the head of the railroad connecting the bituminous coal and iron mines of Tioga co. with the Chemung river and canal, and promises to become a point of some importance when all the natural resources in its vicinity shall be properly developed.

The railroad from Blossburg, through Covington, to Corning in the state of New York, 40 miles, was constructed by the Tioga Navigation Co., instead of a canal or slackwater navigation, and was opened for locomo

tives in July, 1840. This road opens a connection between the coal mines of Blossburg and the Chemung canal of New York. The annexed

Hotel, depot, and coal mine at Blossburg.

view shows, on the right, the large hotel erected by the late Mr. Boyd; and near it, the extensive depot and workshops of the railroad. Beyond, on the hill, is seen the opening of the Arbon company's coal mine, and the inclined plane by which the coal descends. These mines are extensive and valuable. The vein is about five feet in thickness.

A large iron furnace stands at the upper end of the village, which had been leased by Mr. Boyd and another person. It was originally wrought with charcoal, but had been altered for coke; and the workmen were conducting a successful blast with the latter, when Mr. Boyd's catastrophe occurred, and the hearth was allowed "to chill." The same blighting chill came over many of the enterprises in this region from the same cause. Blossburg has become quite a village since the opening of the mines and the railroad. Like most other coal towns in Pennsylvania, it resembles an army with its tents pitched in different detachments-here one row of houses in uniform, and there another. The houses are constructed with good taste, principally of wood. The country around is wild and rugged. The Tioga, here but a narrow stream, flows in a deep and narrow valley, surrounded on both sides by precipitous hills.

TIOGA, OF WILLARDSBURG, situated at the confluence of Crooked creek and the Tioga river, was settled about the year 1800 by Mr. Willard. The opening of the country to a market has given it an impetus, and it has rapidly increased, until it rivals the towns above it on the river. It contains Methodist and Baptist churches.

MANSFIELD is on the right bank of the Tioga, at the mouth of Canoe Camp creek, three miles below Covington. MAINSVILLE is four miles east of Mansfield, on the road to Towanda. Not far from this place, in Union township, in Sept. 1835, Major Ezra Long is said to have discovered a considerable quantity of lead ore, the specimens of which were equal to the best lead ores of the west.

LAWRENCEVILLE is a small village just within the state line, at the con

fluence of the Cowanesque with the Tioga river. FURMANTOWN is on the state road, 12 miles west of Wellsboro; and MIXTOWN lies near the western boundary of the co., on a small branch of Pine creek, six or seven miles N. W. from Furmantown.

UNION COUNTY.

UNION COUNTY Was separated from Northumberland by the act of 22d March, 1813; and the same act fixed the seat of justice at New Berlin. Length 26 miles, breadth 21; area, 550 sq. miles. Population in 1820, 18,619; in 1830, 20,795; and in 1840, 22,787. Several of the prominent ranges of the great Apalachian system traverse the county from S. W. to N. E., and between these ranges there intervene broad limestone valleys of exuberant fertility. The mountains are, commencing on the south, Shade mountain, Jack's mountain, and its apparent continuation, Montour's ridge; Path Valley, Buffalo, Nittany, and White Deer mountains; the isolated Blue hill, opposite Sunbury; and several ridges of less ele'vation. The principal valleys are Middle Creek valley, Penn's valley, Buffalo valley, and White Deer valley-each watered by a stream of the same name. Dry valley, between New Berlin and Northumberland, is without a stream. These valleys and mountains present an extensive range of geological strata, from formation V. to IX. (of our state geologists) inclusive. Iron ore occurs in various localities, principally the hard fossiliferous ore, agreeing with that of Montour's ridge, and the brown argillaceous honeycomb ore; but these ores do not exist in sufficient quantity to justify the establishment of extensive iron-works. Mr. Brooks, of Chester co., had a furnace on Penn's cr., above New Berlin, at the foot of Jack's mountain. It is said that lead ore has been found in certain places in the co. The Pennsylvania canal passes up the west bank of the Susquehanna to Northumberland, and thence the West Branch canal pursues the northern side of that branch. A communication is formed with it at Lewisburg, which accommodates that part of Union co.

The population of Union county is perhaps more exclusively of German extraction than that of any other in the state, unless Berks and Lebanon might be excepted; and its public men have held high stations in the commonwealth, and in congress. Simon Snyder, George Kremer, and Ner Middleswarth, were citizens of this co. Agriculture is the chief, and almost the only pursuit of the inhabitants; and for this there is a mutual adaptation between the nature of the soil and the steady, persevering industry of the German character.

The early history of Union co. is closely interwoven with that of Northumberland, of which it formed a part. The treaty of 1768 at Fort Stanwix threw open this region for settlement by the whites; and although the peace then established with the Indians was at best precarious, many bold adventurers, Irish, Germans, and Dutch, pushed forward upon the newly-acquired lands. The first settlements were made along the West Branch, and upon the Susquehanna. But a few years