Renovo at 150 – The First Chief Burgess

150th-logoby Lou Bernard

RENOVO – As I’m sure you know by now, Renovo is turning a hundred and fifty. It was incorporated in 1866.

Any community needs a government. A government needs someone in charge. In Renovo’s case, this was the Chief Burgess—It’s what they called the mayor, up until somewhat recently. I can’t find any record of when they quit saying “Chief Burgess” and began saying “Mayor,” but a scan of the old newspaper articles suggests it was sometime in the 1950s.

The first guy to hold this office is always an interesting story. In Lock Haven, it was banker Levi Mackey. In Glen Union, it was probably whoever happened to wander up and tell the other four citizens what to do.

Renovo had a cool one.

James S. Hall.

Hall lived on Sixth Street. He was born in Centre County on September 1, 1828, because Clinton County hadn’t been founded yet. He grew up on his father’s farm, got an education, and became a teacher for a while. He married Mary Iddings, who lived on a neighboring farm, in 1854.

When the Civil War came along, Hall signed up. His adventures were detailed in a series of Record articles that I found with help from my friend, Kyra Greenaway, a member of Teen Paranormal. Hall began under the command of Colonel John Brooks, was promoted to Second Lieutenant of Company D, and then promoted to Captain and transferred to the Signal Corps.

Hall was sent to Gettysburg in July of 1863, which you may reasonably conclude was the busy season for Gettsyburg. In an account to the Record later, he told the whole dramatic story, which began with him being sent to recon the Southern forces as they approached. Hall watched from an oak tree as the enemy got into position, and then slipped back to report to the generals. When the enemy began to fire, Hall was sent under fire with a message to General Sickles, asking for aid.

For several days, this was Hall’s job—He and his men scouted for the enemy, and reported their movements to the higher-ups, often under heavy enemy fire. Eventually Gettysburg calmed down, and I don’t guess I need to go into that—We all know how the Civil War ended.

Hall moved to Renovo after getting out of the military in 1865. He got a job as a clerk in one of the railroad companies, and was later promoted to paymaster. This all had to be a lot more relaxing than Gettysburg, what with nobody shooting at him and all.

Renovo’s official founding date is May 26, 1866. On that day, the first municipal election was held for the community. Hall won the position of mayor. (They called it “Chief Burgess,” but I am not sitting around here typing “Chief Burgess” all day.) The election declared a whole swarm of other officials, as well: Councilmen Jacob Givler, Patrick Shelley, Joseph Rothrock, William May, and Peter Quinn; constables William Hartsock and Dennis May; and Justices of the Peace William Baird and John Reilley.

Their first meeting, which Hall presided over, was on June 1, 1866, at a local hotel called the Renovo House. They didn’t have enough officers yet, so they elected a few more: Eugene Metz as clerk and Thomas Roberts as surveyor. The next meeting was at the local railroad offices on July 9.

Hall held the position for almost a year, resigning on March 2, 1867. Then he became a councilman, serving two terms, and also got into other areas, serving two terms each as school director and clerk of council. He was also on the building committee that designed the First Methodist Episcopal Church.

What with all this, it’s surprising that Hall had the time to get sick, but his health began to fail around age sixty. He had a stroke, and then Bright’s Disease, a little-known condition of the kidneys. He stayed somewhat active—The Record said “At times he was able to walk out and mingle with his many friends”—But he died on March 2, 1896, exactly twenty-nine years since he’d resigned as mayor.

A busy, respectable guy, and one of Renovo’s leading citizens. His obit said,”A man who took a leading part in the affairs of the town.”

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