|
 |
|
| About Selinsgrove | ||
|
ABOUT THE PLACE ABOUT THE AREA Established
in 1992!! |
"And when I asked the name of the river...and heard that it was called the Susquehanna, the beauty of the name seemed to be part and parcel of the beauty of the land...that was the name, as no other could be, for that shining river and desirable valley." Robert Louis Stevenson, 1879
Snyder County and Selinsgrove History Long before the first daring French explorers crossed the Susquehanna River in the 1600s and the sturdy German immigrants created a new homeland here, the Delaware and Shawnee Indians hunted throughout the pristine wilderness now known as Snyder County. During the mid-1700s, conflicts between the Indians and the increasing number of immigrant settlers moving into the age-old hunting grounds led to many bloody battles, but the early German settlers persevered against repeated attacks by both the French and the Indians and by the end of the American Revolution these thrifty, honest, and hard working people slowly began to carve a real settlement into the Snyder County wilderness. Over the years, the Pennsylvania Germans became the Pennsylvania "Dutch." Seeking freedom from religious oppression and an opportunity to build a better future for themselves, these early German immigrants settled along Penns Creek as early as 1745. Other early settlers were Scotch-Irish from the Kittatinny Valley who established a settlement near Selinsgrove in 1755. The town of Selinsgrove was founded in 1787 by Captain Anthony Selin, who fought with General George Washington in the Revolutionary War. Snyder County was officially recognized in 1853. It was named after Pennsylvania's only three-term governor, Simon Snyder. The completion of the Pennsylvania Canal in 1831 and the construction of the Middle Creek Valley Railroad in 1871 brought increased business as well as marked growth in the population. Selinsgrove became the marketplace for the entire county. The canal was dug by hand, mostly by Irish laborers, and measured 40 feet wide and 6 feet deep. Stretching 39 miles from Duncan's Island to Northumberland along the west bank of the Susquehanna, the canal was a boon to Selinsgrove's early growth. The abandonment of the canal in 1901 was a severe blow to the economy of the town and region. There is little evidence of the original canal except for Routes 11 & 15, which follow the original path along the west shore of the river. Newcomers are drawn to Snyder County's uniqure cultural heritage
and its year-round recreation, hunting and fishing opportunities.
The sheer beauty of the unspoiled streams, forests, and rolling farmlands
surrounds the quiet majesty of the Susquehanna River.
|
