COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES Woodward, Sarah J . W oodward, Isaac T yler, Susan T ylcr, Harriet Roan, I^ n a Fidlcr, Sarah A . Phillips, John Snyder, Richard Edw ards, M artha A w a r d s, Daniel Breece, Robert Roan, Elizabeth Cadman. M aria Logan, M argaret D err, M ary A . Breece, Lucy Cosper, M ary N. Pow ell, Mahala Brittain. M r. Shanalclts resigned after a three years’ m inistry and his successors have been: Re‘s. J . C . Penny, C- W. Scott, J . P . Tustin, C . W. Sm ith. D. J . R . Strayer, and again, in 1885, R ev. J . P. Tustin. Rev. W. T . Galloway came in 1 ^ 8 and during his term the church was improved at a cost of $ 1,10 0 . Subsequent pastors have been: Rev. George W eeks. 18929 5 : R ev. William M . Tinker, 1896-97; Rev. J . D . Smith, 1898-1903: Rev. V. M . Tinker, 19 0 3-0 6; Rev. R . G. Smith, 19 0 6-10; and the present pastor. Rev. T . E . Jcpson, who came in 1 9 1 1 . In 1903 further improvements were m ade to the church, and in 1 9 13 the Sunday school room w as enlarged. R ev. T . E . Jcpson, pastor of the church, is one of the youngest veterans of the Q v il war in the State, having enlisted as a drummer boy a t the age o f twelve. T h e present officers a rc : Deacons, C . B. E d w ard s. T. E . H yde, M . E . Stackhouse, Ja m e s Stern er; trustees. Dr. H . Bicrman, W. C . Johnston. John Shultz. Jam es Rceser, Fran klin K e lle r;c le rk .T . V . G unter;treasurer, H . R, Kahlcr. Roman Catholics
- 1116 first religious services held in Blooms
b u rg agreeably to the ritual of the Roman ^ t h o li c Church were in the days of the con struction of the Pennsylvania canal, the work men on which were mostly Irish Catholics. F ath e r Fitzpatrick o f Milton officiated at d if ferent times during this period. In 1844 F ath e r Fitzsimmons held M ass on se‘eral occasions for the workmen who erected the Bloom sburg iron furnaces. These services w e re held at the home o f Michael Casey on Iro n street, near the canal, every month, but the floating population departed and the re m ainder w as too small to support a pastor. Fro m then until 1874 a congregation was slow ly collected under the ministrations o f Fath ers Sherdon, M urray, McGinnis. Smith and Noonan, from Sunbury; and Schleutcr, from Danville. F in ally the stone church once occupied by the Prim itive Methodists, on Third, between Iron and Center streets, w as purchased, re built and redcdicated under the protection o f 10
145
St. Columba. The pastoral residence adjoin ing w as bought in Fathers O 'Brien, Reilly, Clarke and McCann were successive pastors until 1880. Father J . R . Murphy suc ceeded FatJier McCann, and w as followed in jg jo by Rev. Father E . A . Burhard, the pres ent incumbent. The present handsome brick church was erected in 19 13, and dedicated on Oct. I2th of that year. T he brick residence on the com er of Third and Iron streets was removed seventy feet to the west and on its site the new clturch w as built. T he residence is used as a rectory. T he new church is 43 by 85 feel, and the total cost of the building and furnishings was over sixteen thousand dollars. Improvements to the rectory, pavements and the grounds totaled a cost o f over four thousand more. Evangelicals T he Central Pennsylvania Conference of the Evangelical Association in March, 1873, de cided to occupy Bloomsburg as a mission and place it under the care o f Rev. R . C. Bowerso x, together with several other points. S e rv ices had been held in the "P o rt N oble" school housc in 1867 by Rev. U . W. H arris, and a class formed with George Kishel as leader. Other members were Joseph Garrison, Henry Garrison, E lijah Strohm and Tobias Henry. Regular services had been held a fte r that, but it was not till 1880 that the congregation worshipped in their own house, built on a lot p u rc h a s^ in 1873- B ‘*hop Thom as Bowman, himself a native o f Briarcreek township, dedi cated the completed building on Dec. n th . Pastors o f this church have been: Revs. R . C. Rowcrsox, 18 73-74; J . N . Irvine. 18757 6 : A . W . Sheubcrgcr, J . S. Hertz, 18 7 7; G. W. Hunter. 1878-79: I.. K . H arris, 1 8 7 9 ^; S . E . Davis. 18 8 0 -8 1: S . P. Rehmcr, 1882-84; H . W . Buck. 1885-88: J . F . Shultz, 1888-89; A . W. Swenglc. C. W. Hunter, 1889-90; C. L . Sones, 1890-93: J . W omeldorf. 1893-95; G . W. Currin. 1 ^ 5 - 9 9 : J . W . Messenger. 1 8 ^ - 1 9 0 0; J . W . Rcntz, 19 0 0 0 3; J . Shambach, 1903 0 7 : E . B . Bailey. 19 0 7 -n; and Rev. S. E . Koontz, the present pastor, who came to the parish in 1 9 1 1. During 1894 the co n gi^ atio n became known as the United Evangelical Church, owing to the denominational change o f name. In 189S the present parsonage on Fourth street was erected. T he church has made remarkable strides financially and spiritually, and recently the
