C H A P T E R X V III B E A V E R T O W N S H IP T h is township, fonned in 1845. was the fifth in order o f o r^n izatio n in Columbia county, and w as named from the little run which Hows through the central valley between Buck and M cA ulcy mountains. North o f this lies the valley 01 Scotch run, above which on the north towers Nescopeck mountain. T his region of elevations and depressions did not attract early settlers and w as not occupied until the more level and fertile lands to the westward were taken up. In 1774 Beaver valley was occupied by Alexander Mc.AuIey, whose mysterious fate is described in the sketch o f Locust town* ship. H e retired from this Indian infested region in 1776, but a neighbor, Andrew 1larger, was captured by the savages and kept in bond age for almost a year. N o further attempt w as made lo inhabit the “ Beaver Sw am ps" until 1799. A t that date there appears to have been an Englishman by the name o f Thom as Wilkinson living a her mit’s existence in a cave along Catawissa creek. Among the settlers of the following years were Jam es Van O argan, and the Klingam an, Oaks. K arig. Mensingcr, Sw ank, Longcnberger and Fisher families. A t this time a dispute arose between Daniel O aks and Reuben Eyerly as to the title to a piece o f land. Soon after the O aks fam ily were burned in their house. Eycrly w as arrested fo r the atrocity, but released for lack o f evidence. H e was, however, later hanged fo r a sim ilar crime. John Dalious set tled at the foot of the mountain on Catawissa creek. H e was from Berks county, as were John R arig, Ludw ig Mensingcr and John Hootz, who followed him some time later. iNDUSTKteS
T h e industries o f this township in early times, as well as the present, were few and in significant. Tohn and Christian Shuman ran a sawmill an<I tannery on the site of the present station o f 5 /n<mnn before 1H68, and Jam es Hausc had another sawmill near the source o f Beaver run.
J . B . N uss built a gristm ill at Beaver Valley post office, which w as burned in 1876, while tl)c proprietor, F . L . Sliuman, w as in Phila delphia. H e rebuilt it and sold it in 1881 to Charles Reichart. T he latter kept the mills till 1885 and then sold to Dr. A . P . H eller, o f M illville. Sherman H eller, the son, ran it until 1886 and then sold to M cH enry & Heller. D. W. Shuman is now the proprietor in 19 14 . T he mill has an overshot wheel o f 3 5 horse power, and a ca]>acity o f forty barrels o f flour per day. it is a buckwheat mill. B£AV£R V A L L K V
Beaver Valley and Shum antown are prac tically the same, one being on the hill b ^ id e (he railroad, and the other in the valley below. T he mountains tower above the valley and Catawissa crcck makes many a sharp turn here, at one point breaking through the natural bar riers and forming a gorge o f great beauty. T lie Reading railroad here has a tunnel through a spur o f Buck mountain. Ju st below is the pumping station of the Tidew ater Pipe Line Company, which buys in the oil r^ io n s, pumps the oil through its lines, and sells it to the Standard O il Company at Tidewater. T he tanks and engine house are located on a tract o f five acres. T h e oil is elevated to the top of the hill, a height o f 1.3 2 5 feet, whence it flows towards the southwest. T he present superintendent of the plant is J . E . Paisley. T he storekeepers at Beaver Valley are W. F . Bredbcnner, L . H . Michael, L e v i M ichael, T . J . Shuman and Charles N ey, the latter being also postmaster. "Shum an’s H otel" is run b y John P. Fry. The ch ief place fo r public meetings in the viil.an is the P. O. S . of A . hall o f Wa.shlngton Camp N o. 540. T h e officers of the cam p a r e : Fxlward Riegel. president: H . Y . H a r man. vice president; Frank Riegel. master o f fo rm s: Paul Schlieder, conductor; R oss E rv in , incpcctor; Charles Sassam an, inspector; R . B . Wheeler, trustee.
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