CH APTER XXVIII M A D IS O N T O W N S H IP This tow nship, the most westerly in Colum bia county, is noted as the only one which is partially drained by the headw aters o f Chillisqoaquc crcck. T h e "D ivid e,” a sharp ridge, separates th is stream from the w aters of Little F ish in g creek. A t the com er in the northwestern end o f M adison township, where Columbia, L yco m in g and M ontour counties meet, is the site o f an old Indian town, and the trail fro m the W est Branch to Ncscopcck crossed the "d iv id e ” ju st above the village o f Jerscytown. In (he y e a r 177 6 the W hitm oyers, Billhim es and W clliv crs cam e to this section from New Jersey. M ich ael Billhim e located on M uddy run, where h e built a cabin and cleared six acres of land. Daniel W ellivcr selected a place on Whetstone run. an affluent o f Little Fishing creek. T h e W hitm oyers settled a short dis tance west o f Jerseytow n . W hen the Indian outrages induced the settlers to take refuge in (he fo rts, the W hitm oyers remained. In March. 17 8 0, some of the men went to a sugar ramp, le av in g several of the women .and a few men a t home. A son returning the fo l lowing m orning fo r a forgotten utensil found the whole fam ily dead and scalped. Fearing for his life he fled to Fort A ugusta. T h e next day a p a rty o f rangers retume<l to the spot and burie<l 'th e bodies. T h e g rav e s are on (he road from Jerscyto w n to W ashingtonville. In (he autum n o f 178 0 the Billhim es and W cllivcrs rc(unic<l. accompame<l by John, Adam and Christopher Welli%'er, cousins o f Daniel. Christopher bought land south o f JeTSC)-town. Jo h n located on the site of the devastated home of the W hitm oyers. and Adam occupied the site o f Jerseytow n . Michael Billhime found h is home in the possession o f another, and had to clear a new spot, on Spruce run. Al>out this time Joseph Hodge and Peter B ru e lc r also arrived from New Jersey. In 17 8 5 W illiam P cgg ( o r P agu c) settled on (he CnilHsquaque, two m iles south west o f Jerseyto w n, and three y e ars later
Phineas B arb er took up a tract on the oppo site side o f that stream. T he follow ing year H ugh W atson located a m ile east of the v il lage site, as also did Jo h n Funston, and E van Thom as settled a little west o f town. In 1786 R ichard Demott located east o f Jerseytow n . L e w is Schuyler, a Revolutionary soldier, came in 1794, and G eorge Runyon and Jac o b Sw ish er follow ed soon after. Sw ish er w as the first ju stice of the peace in the township, having been appointed by G overnor Sn yder, and hold ing the office until it became elective some years later. H e also started the first tannery. O ther settlers were Jo h n Sm ith, Jam e s l^iird, Thom as I^ ir d, lle n r)' Kitchen and H ugh M c Collum. A fte r the ])cculiar methods adopted by the land speculators who first controlled the titles to tracts in this county had been aired by those who had suffered from their dishonesty, the form er adopted m ore reasonable methods o f sale, and honest settlers cam e to this section in increasing numbers. B y 1 8 17 the grow th o f population w as such a s to w arran t a separa tion from the exten sive township o f Derry. A ccordingly the court at D anville ordered the erection of the township o f M adison, naming it from the president, who had ju st completed his second term. Since that time the township lias Iwcn twice reduced in area fo r the benefit o f other townships. JERSBYTOW.N
T h e village o f Jerseytow n . the only one in this township, w as developed by (he traffic on the stage roads from D anville and Bloom s burg to M uncy. T h e first store w as opened in 17 9 1 by John Funston, and around it the v il lage g rew up. It w as founded in a somewhat singular manner. Funston and his neighbors w ere in the habit o f sending their wheat and other products to R ead in g yearly by the fo r m er's son. and in return obtaining there a sup ply o f gCKMis for the season. On one trip
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