Lou’s View

By Lou Bernard

It just occurred to me that we have an anniversary this year. Dunnstown, the oldest community in Clinton County, is two hundred and thirty. Dunnstown is older than our county, and its township, and all of the communities in it. Dunnstown is also older than the previous county, and the communities in that, too. It is one hell of an old place, is what I am saying, here.

Dunnstown was originally called Dunnsburgh, and was laid out by William Dunn in 1792. (Someone once told me that Castanea was the oldest community in the county, which is patently ridiculous, as Castanea doesn’t even come close.) Dunn purchased the land from the Native Americans—In some sources, it’s said that he bought the land for whiskey, beads, and a rifle.

At the time, Clinton County hadn’t been created yet. The land on which Dunnstown now stands was part of Northumberland County. In 1795, Lycoming County was founded, and Dunnstown became part of that. In fact, it was almost the county seat, but Williamsport won out, as it was bigger and more centrally located.

“It was intended to be the county seat of Lycoming County,” says John Blair Linn in his History of Centre and Clinton Counties,”But afterwards was not taken, consequently has not made the improvements it otherwise would have done.”

Woodward Township, where Dunnstown stands, was not created in 1792 either. At the time, Dunnstown was in Dunnstable Township, which makes sense. In 1841, Woodward Township was taken from Dunnstable. A few years earlier, in 1839, Clinton County had been founded by Jeremiah Church, and Dunnstown was pitched as the county seat by early resident John Moorhead. Jerry Church was more charming and persuasive than Moorhead, however, and he wanted Lock Haven to be the county seat because he wanted the courthouse next to his home.

So Dunnstown wasn’t selected then, either.

To the best of my knowledge, this makes Dunnstown unique in the state of Pennsylvania. It’s the only community to be proposed as a county seat and passed over twice.

Almost immediately, Dunn made plans for a cemetery, which makes sense. You’re going to need one eventually, right? So he laid out the Dunnstown Cemetery, which still exists. The first burial was William Baird, age seventy-nine, who died on September 12, 1792. Baird was the earliest burial in the cemetery, which makes his grave the oldest marked one in Clinton County.

Also in Dunnstown Cemetery is Peter Grove, known for giving his name to Grove Street. Grove was a scout during the Colonial days, and is said to have jumped his horse off a cliff to escape a Native American attack.

And also buried there is Merritt McCloskey, who owned a farm down the street. McCloskey was a local man who is best known for standing up to the KKK in the early 1900s. When the KKK wanted to camp out on his land, McCloskey initially refused, but then was bullied and threatened into it. So on the night before they were to have a big cross-burning, McCloskey and his teenaged son snuck into their camp, stole the cross, and threw it into the Susquehanna River. This caused great consternation to the KKK, who vowed to hire private detectives to find out who’d done it, but they never did. Anyone who has annoyed the KKK is worthy of note in one of my columns.

Dunnstown is a small unincorporated community, but an interesting one. The oldest community in the county, the oldest grave, a battle with the KKK, and some interesting stories. Historically, Dunnstown has it all.