Can someone tell me what year the name Sunbury started being used? As I go through the federal Census online, there is no Sunbury listed as a place that census was taken for the year 1880. What other location would have included residents of Sunbury? Thanks Sharon

OUR TOWN: SUNBURY Original Broadcast Date: August 12, 2002 At the picturesque point where the west and north branches of the Susquehanna converge, sits the town of Sunbury. Sunbury dates back to 1772 and was named for an English Village near London, England. Because of its strategic point along the Susquehanna, Sunbury became the site of one of the most important frontier forts in Pennsylvania, Fort Augusta. Ft. Augusta was a reliable stronghold during the days of the French and Indian War. It also played a major role in the Revolutionary War where it served as the military headquarters for the American Forces in the Upper Susquehanna Valley. But it wasn't until the Wizard of Menlo Park came to town, that Sunbury truly became a historic site. Sunbury became internationally famous when in 1883 Thomas Edison demonstrated his invention, the electric light, by wiring the city hotel. The hotel, which was the first building to use Edison's three wire system, changed the world and was renamed "The Edison Hotel" to honor the inventor. From Cameron Park to community playgrounds, from the historic downtown district to "The Squeeze In." there is plenty to see and do as we explore this beautiful area along banks of the Susquehanna River. ----- SUNBURY Transcribed from Bell's History of Northumberland County Pennsylvania THE TOWN PLAT - EARLY RESIDENTS - SUNBURY IN 1805 - REMINISCENCES OF DR. R. H. AWL - PROMINENT MERCHANTS, 1772-1850 - EARLY HOTELS - MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT SUNBURY. THE site of Sunbury is an alluvial plain of triangular shape, evidently an island at some former period in it geological development and eminently rich in historic interest. At the time when definite knowledge regarding this region begins it was the site of the Indian village of Shamokin and the residence of the great chief Shikellimy. Here the Moravian missionaries preached and taught, and Conrad Weiser met his dusky friends with that simple ingenuousness which formed the strongest element in his diplomacy; and here the Provincial Government erected Fort Augusta, the most formidable defensive work in central Pennsylvania, from which were directed the military movements throughout the colonial and Revolutionary periods which form so large a part of the history of the northern frontier during these eventful times. By the census of 1890 the population of the borough was five thousand nine hundred thirty. THE TOWN PLAT. Pomfret manor, a tract of several thousand acres surveyed for the Proprietaries in 1768, originally embraced the town site, which was doubtless selected from pecuniary considerations as well as on account of its natural END OF PAGE 444 eligibility. The survey of the town was determined upon at a meeting of the Governor and Council on the 16th of June, 1772, when Surveyor General Lukens was directed to repair to Fort Augusta, and, with the assistance of William Maclay, "lay out a town for the county of Northumberland to be called by the name of Sunbury at the most commodious place between the fort and the mouth of Shamokin creek, into three hundred lots to be accommodated with streets, lanes, and alleys and a commodious square in the most convenient place for public buildings; the two main streets to be eighty feet wide, the others sixty, and the lanes and alleys twenty feet; the lots to be sixty feet wide in front and two hundred thirty feet deep if the ground and situation will conveniently allow that depth. And it is further ordered that a space of at least one hundred twenty feet be left between the town line and the bank of the river: every other lot adjoining the square and fifty commodious lots besides to be reserved for the Proprietaries." In compliance with these instructions Mr. Lukens set out for Fort Augusta on the 18th of June, 1772, and the survey was completed in the following month. In the original town plat the streets extending north and south in order from the river are named Broadway, River, Deer, Fawn, and Short, intersected at right angles by Cranberry street, Strawberry alley, Dewberry street, Hulberry alley, Shamokin street, Barberry alley, Blackberry street, Gooseberry alley, Pokeberry street, Raspberry alley, Whortleberry street, Billberry alley, and Elderberry street, in order from the north. For some of these streets popular usage early adopted other names. Broadway became Water street; Penn, Mud street; Spruce, Bullet alley; Third, Back alley; Fourth, Hog street, and Shamokin, Market street. The present system of nomenclature was established by borough ordinance, June 5, 1866, changing the name of Broadway to Front; of River, to Second; of Deer, to Third; of Fawn, to Fourth; of Short, to Fifth; of Elderberry, to Spruce; of Whortleberry, to Walnut; of Pokeberry, to Penn; of Blackberry, to Chestnut; of Shamokin, to Market; of Dewberry, to Arch, and of Cranberry, to Race. The most extensive addition to the original town plat is that part of the borough popularly known as Caketown. This land also formed part of the manor of Pomfret; it embraced the site of Fort Augusta, and was the residence of Colonel Samuel Hunter until his death, although it does not appear that he ever acquired a proprietary interest. On the 10th of April, 1786, John Penn, Jr., and John Penn executed a conveyance to William Wilson for three hundred forty-two acres of land, "the same place and tract of land whereon the late Colonel Hunter dwelt and part of the manor of Pomfret," the consideration being one thousand twenty- six pounds specie. The purchaser was an American officer during the Revolution and associate judge of Northumberland county, 1792-1813; a biographical sketch is given in this work in the chapter on the Bench and Bar. On the 20th of October, 1700, he sold one moiety or undivided half part of this tract to Alexander Hunter; END OF PAGE 445 the other moiety was deeded to Mary Scott, June 17, 1811, at a nominal consideration, and from this time (or possibly at an earlier date), the land was known as the Hunter and Scott farms. The latter, embracing one hundred forty acres, adjoined the original northern boundary of Sunbury borough; the former comprised one hundred fifty-three acres. The upper division, taken in execution as the property of Alexander Hunter at the suit of John Cowden, was sold at sheriff's sale on the 22d of April, 1814, and purchased by Thomas Grant. In compliance with his will, his executors and executrix; George, William, and Deborah Grant, deeded it to Mrs. Nancy Hunter, widow of Alexander Hunter, October 16, 1817. By her will, dated July 26, 1833, Mrs. Nancy Hunter devised the farm to her son, Samuel Hunter. He died in 1852, and by the terms of his will it became the property of his sisters, Mary and Nancy Hunter, and Elizabeth, wife of Henry Billington. One hundred six acres of this tract eventually came into the exclusive possession of Mary Hunter, by whom it was conveyed to Benjamin Hendricks by deed of August 9, 1859, and on the 25th of June, 1863, it was purchased from Mr. Hendricks by Joseph W. Cake. Mary Scott died intestate, leaving her estate to her children, Samuel H. Scott, Mrs. Sarah Gobin (nee Scott), wife of Charles Gobin, and Susan Scott. Samuel H. Scott also died intestate, leaving his estate to his sisters, Mrs. Sarah Gobin and Susan Scott, who sold the Scott farm to David Longenecker, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, February 4, 1854. It was purchased at sheriff's sale, June 27, 1857, by Joseph S. Silver, of Philadelphia, who deeded it to Francis W. Hughes, of Pottsville, August 28, 1857. It was purchased from Mr. Hughes, August 23, 1859, by Joseph W. Cake. Having thus secured both the Scott and Hunter farms, Mr. Cake proceeded to lay out the addition that bears his name. It was surveyed in September, 1863, by P. W. Sheafer, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania; the principal streets extending east and west are Masser, Greenough, Packer, Amy, Alice, Julia, Joseph, John, and Main, intersected by Fort Augusta avenue and Susquehanna, Railroad, Scott, Thompson, and Moorehead streets, of those last mentioned, however, several have not yet been opened. The only other additions of any importance within the borough limits are those of Benjamin Hendricks, the executors of Henry Masser, John W. Friling, Dr. R. H. Awl, and William & E. D. Lenker. Hendricks extended Second street below Spruce and opened Pine between Second and Third, Friling opened Pine street between Front and Second, and laid out several blocks below Spruce; Masser's addition comprises Vine street, which is parallel with Race and immediately north of it; Awl's and Lenker's additions are in the southeastern part of the borough. EARLY RESIDENTS. In a list of the taxables of Augusta township in the year 1774 each of the fol- END OF PAGE 446 lowing persons is accredited with a house and lot: Sebastian Crevous, George Cliver, Frederick Dunkelberger, Robert Desha, Martin Epley, Philip Everhart, David Fowler, Peter Gearhart, Charles Garmont, Solomon Green, Stophel Gettig, Samuel Harris, Jacob Haverling, Adam Haverling, Charles Huffy, Nicholas Kofield, William Maclay, Joseph McCarrell, Robert McBride, David McKinney, Nicholas Miller, Frederick Reely, Zachariah Robins, Henry Reigert, John Ream (butcher), Gustavus Ross, Cornelius Row, Stephen Sutton, Thomas Steinbach, Michael Troy, George Vaughan, George Wolf, Jonas Weaver, John Weitzel, James Wild, John Wall, and Elias Youngman. As Sunbury was then the only town in Augusta township, it is fair to presume that this list includes the names of its principal inhabitants at that time. Colonel Samuel Hunter and Mrs. Alexander Grant resided north of the town, and Valentine Geiger at Maclay's mill a mile to the east but within the present limits of the borough of East Sunbury. Colonel Samuel Hunter was born in the North of Ireland in 1732. His military career began in 1760; on the 2d of May in that year he was commissioned as lieutenant in Captain Joseph Scott's company of Colonel Hugh Mercer's battalion of the Pennsylvania regiment, and on the 10th of November, 1763, as captain in Colonel Turbutt Francis's battalion. He was at Fort Augusta in June, 1763, when the first intelligence of Pontiac's conspiracy was received, and initiated the measures subsequently carried into execution by Colonel Burd for the defense of that post. In the following year. he joined Colonel Bouquet's expedition, but was again at Fort Augusta in 1768 and doubtless earlier. On the 24th of March, 1772, he was commissioned as one of the first justices for Northumberland county, from which he was elected to the Assembly, 1772-75, to the Committee, of Safety, 1775-76, and to the Council of Censors in 1783; and when the militia organized at the outbreak of the Revolution he was elected colonel of the First battalion, February 8, 1776. He was appointed county lieutenant, March 21, 1777, and re-appointed, April 6, 1780; in this responsible position he directed the movements of the local militia during the Revolution, and his official correspondence is an invaluable contribution to the history of Northumberland county in that eventful period. He died at Fort Augusta, April 10, 1784, leaving a widow, Susanna (nee Scott), and two daughters, Nancy and Mary. The former married Alexander Hunter; the latter, Samuel Scott. Alexander Grant, a native of Scotland, where he resided in the vicinity of Aberdeen, settled near the Susquehanna river immediately opposite Shamokin island prior to the organization of Northumberland county, and was elected the first constable of Augusta township in 1772. He died, March 21, 1775, leaving a widow and two sons, George and Thomas. Their mother was born on the 31st of October, 1718, and died on the 26th of November, 1821, at the great age of one hundred three years. George Grant was born, August 16, 1755; on the 19th of March, 1776, he was END OF PAGE 447 commissioned as third lieutenant in Captain Weitzel's company; he was promoted captain in the Ninth regiment, May 3, 1777, and died on the North river three miles above New Windsor, Connecticut, October 10, 1779. Thomas Grant was born on the 20th of November, 1758, and died on the 16th of June, 1815. He served as sheriff of Northumberland county one term, 1785-88, and also as lieutenant and captain in the local militia. He was an active promoter of the Centre turnpike and during its construction disbursed the funds in payment for work, making frequent journeys to different points on the route with the money in his saddle- bags. He married Deborah, daughter of Robert Martin, of Northumberland. William Maclay, whose connection with the early history of Sunbury and of Northumberland county was of the most intimate character, was born in New Garden township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, July 20, 1737, son of Charles and Eleanor (Query) Maclay. His father removed to Lurgan township, Franklin county, Pennsylvania, in 1742, and there he grew to manhood. At the outbreak of the French and Indian war he was a pupil at the classical academy of Rev. John Blair in Chester county; entering the military service as ensign, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on the 7th of May, 1758, in the Third battalion, and served with credit in General Forbes's expedition in that year. In 1763 he participated at the battle of Bushy Run, and during the subsequent progress of Bouquet's campaign was stationed in command of his company at one of the stockades on the route of the expedition. In the intervals of his military service he studied law, and on the 28th of April, 1760, was admitted to the bar of York county, Pennsylvania, although it is not probable that he ever engaged actively in the duties of the profession. He visited England at the close of the French and Indian war, and had an interview with Thomas Penn, one of the Proprietaries, relative to the survey of lands on the frontiers of the Province. It was in the capacity of a surveyor that his first acquaintance with the territory of Northumberland county began; on the 23d of February, 1769, he made the first survey in the valley of the West Branch, one of the tracts apportioned to the officers in the French and Indian war, in which he participated by virtue of his services. On the 24th of March, 1772, he was commissioned as first prothonotary, clerk of the several courts, register of wills, and recorder of deeds for Northumberland county, and was the incumbent of these respective offices until 1777. He was also commissioned as justice for the county, March 24, 1772, June 11, 1777, and January 24, 1785. In 1772 he assisted John Lukens in surveying the town of Sunbury, and in the following year erected a stone dwelling at the northeast corner of Arch and Front streets, the most substantial and pretentious of the early private houses of the county seat. Early in the Revolutionary struggle he entered actively into the support of the American cause, marched with the militia to the seat of war and participated in the battles of Trenton and Princeton, END OF PAGE 448 and served as issuing commissary after his return to Sunbury. In 1781, 1782, 1783, and 1785 he was elected to the Assembly from Northumberland county, and in 1786 to the Supreme Executive Council; in January, 1789, he was elected to the United States Senate as one of the first members of that body from Pennsylvania, his colleague being Robert Morris. The latter drew the long term, and Mr. Maclay accordingly retired on the 3d of March, 1791. His attitude toward the administration while a member of this body and its far-reaching results are thus stated by W. H. Egle, M. D.:- His election to this body raised him upon a higher plane of political activity, but contact with the Federal chiefs of the Senate only strengthened his political convictions, which, formed by long intercourse with the people of middle Pennsylvania, were intensely democratic. He began to differ with the opinions of President Washington very early in the session; he did not approve of the state and ceremony attendant upon the intercourse of the President with Congress; he flatly objected to the presence of the President in the Senate while business was being transacted, and in the Senate boldly spoke against his policy in the immediate presence of President Washington. The New England historians, Hildreth and Goodrich, repute Thomas Jefferson as the "efficient promoter at the beginning and father and founder of the Democratic party." Contemporary records, however, show beyond the shadow of a doubt that this responsibility or honor, in whatever light it may be regarded, can not be shifted from the shoulders or taken from the laurels of Pennsylvania statesmanship. Before Mr. Jefferson's return from Europe, William Maclay assumed an independent position, and in his short career of two years in the Senate propounded ideas and gathered about him elements to form the opposition which developed with the meeting of Congress at Philadelphia on the 24th of October, 1791, in a division of the people into two great parties, the Federalists and Democrats, when, for the first time appeared an open and organized opposition to the administration. The funding of the public debt, chartering the United States Bank, and other measures championed necessarily by the administration, whose duty it was to put the wheels of government in motion, engendered opposition. Mr. Maclay, to use his own language, "no one else presenting himself," fearlessly took the initiative, and, with his blunt common sense (for he was not much of a speaker) and democratic ideas, took issue with the ablest advocates of the administration. Notwithstanding the prestige of General Washington and the ability of the defenders of the administration on the floor of the Senate, such was the tact and resolution of Mr. Maclay that when, after his short service, he was retired from the Senate and succeeded by James Ross, a pronounced Federalist, their impress was left in the distinctive lines of an opposition party - a party, which, taking advantage of the warm feeling of our people toward the French upon the occasion of Jay's treaty with Great Britain in 1794, and of the unpopularity of the Alien and Sedition laws, passed under the administration of President John Adams in 1798, compassed the final overthrow of the Federal party in 1800.* Mr. Maclay kept a journal during his senatorial term, in which he summarized the debates in both open and secret sessions; it has been published in book form with notes by George Washington Harris, and also in the New York Sun, and forms a most interesting and valuable contribution to the history of this country in the period immediately succeeding the adoption of ___________________________________________________________________ > Can someone tell me what year the name Sunbury started being used? As I go > through the federal Census online, there is no Sunbury listed as a place > that census was taken for the year 1880. What other location would have > included residents of Sunbury? > > Thanks > Sharon > >

Sharon, An archive of the Sunbury Daily Item reported that on 24 Aug 2003 Scott Heintzelman, president of the Northumberland County Historical Society, while leading a historical study group, stated that Sunbury was incorporated as a borough in 1772. See http://www.dailyitem.com/archive/2003/0824/local/stories/07local.htm More details on the naming of Sunbury and earlier names used for the area are found at above Website. Nelson R. Sulouff ///////////////////////// ----- Original Message ----- From: Shadonkd35@aol.com To: PANORTHU-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2005 3:44 PM Subject: [PANORTHU-L] Sunbury Can someone tell me what year the name Sunbury started being used? As I go through the federal Census online, there is no Sunbury listed as a place that census was taken for the year 1880. What other location would have included residents of Sunbury? Thanks Sharon

FYI, At familysearch.org (LDS site) Sunbury is listed as Sunbury in their 1880 index. Greg > Can someone tell me what year the name Sunbury started being used? As I go > through the federal Census online, there is no Sunbury listed as a place > that census was taken for the year 1880. What other location would have > included residents of Sunbury? > > Thanks > Sharon