Lou’s View

By Lou Bernard

I’ve written about Lock Haven’s founding before. Repeatedly. It was November 4, 1833, and if you didn’t know that, I’d like to congratulate you on reading my column for the first time. Probably the only topic I write about more is Henry Wharton Shoemaker. I have a tendency to pull out stories of Lock Haven’s founding every year around this time, mainly because I can do it from memory.

So this year makes Lock Haven 190 years old. That’s a pretty big milestone, so I’m writing it here to capture the spirit of the times. Several times in the past, including the 175th anniversary, I’ve seen big anniversaries coming when nobody else has. So fair warning, City of Lock Haven—You’ve got ten years to plan for the 200th anniversary. I’m giving you a heads-up now.

Lock Haven was founded by Jerry Church. On impulse. I’m exaggerating a little bit there, but not by much—When Jerry Church came to Lock Haven, he had no intention of creating a community. He was just here to visit his brother.

Jeremiah Church grew up in New York State, and he had a pretty large selection of siblings. His brother Willard lived in what would later be Clinton County, and Jerry came to visit for a bit. Jerry Church, who had grown up beside a river, loved the Susquehanna River and the canals, which were in progress at the time, and he decided to create a community here. Which is quite a big step for a broke guy who just popped in for a quick visit.

Jerry raised the money from an anonymous donor, an attorney from Williamsport. The donor remained anonymous for over a century and a half, but we now know him to be Judge Alexander Jordan. (One of my discoveries.) Jerry borrowed twenty thousand dollars, and set about buying the land from Dr. John Henderson, a retired Revolutionary War surgeon who owned two hundred acres, mostly down along present-day East Water Street.

They had a couple of shots of rye to seal the deal, which was out of character for Jerry Church, who didn’t drink because he’d always blamed alcohol for the death of his father. And then Jerry held a public auction on November 4, selling off lots one at a time.

The first lot was on the southeast corner of Jay and Water Streets, and it went to Frank Smith, a hotel owner and aspiring actor. Smith helped found the Thespian Society, a group of other wannabe actors who provided monthly entertainment for the new city.

You’ll notice that many of the streets and alleys are named after important people during this time: Church Street, Willard’s Alley, Henderson Street, Jordan’s Alley. Jerry Church, who laid out the first map of Lock Haven by hand, had a habit of doing that.

About a week after Lock Haven began, the Rain of Fire happened. This was a very bright, intense meteor shower that was a huge shock to the residents of the new community. People ran from their homes to see thousands of shooting stars flying over, to the west. It was seen all over the coast, but as far as I know, only one community was founded the week before.

Jerry spent six years trying to get a county created so that his new place could be the county seat. Originally, it was to be Eagle County, but that was voted down by the state repeatedly. Finally he brought his friend John Moorhead, who proposed naming the county after New York Governor Dewitt Clinton, and they voted it through without realizing it was the same county.

So there you have it—We live in a city created on a whim, baptized with a meteor shower, in a county founded by trickery. I love that. Happy 190th!