The Townships

By Christopher Miller

I want to acknowledge the help of Susan Hoy, VP of Cameron County Historical Society in gathering information to write this final story in the Township series. Without your help, I wouldn’t be able to tell the most complete story of this long-forgotten township in Clinton County’s history. Thank you!

I was standing at the Ross Library looking at the 1862 Clinton County map hanging on the side wall near that other history guy’s desk. Unfortunately to access this map you have to be within eyeshot of him, so upon activating Lou Bernard (basically him just seeing me) he joined me at the map.

My well-trained eye spotted the odd irregularities of the map – the top triangular piece in the northeast corner, the absence of communities that were not founded yet, the coal mining villages that have been reduced to rubble and stone foundations in modern day, but something else caught my eye.

On a side bar was a column of text labeled Statistics of Clinton County and the fifth row down showed something of interest. These statistics are community populations in 1862. Grove Township (no longer in Clinton County but ceded to Cameron) was listed, but this is sort of well known. There was a presence of another township, little-known by Clinton Countians today unless you stumbled upon this in John Blair Linn’s book, History of Centre and Clinton Counties. Lumber Township – the second smallest Clinton County township by population in 1862. Ironically enough, the area of Lumber Township does not appear on the map.

“Lumber Township was an original township which was formed while a part of Lycoming County and named because of its forests,” read a line from a book particular to Cameron County. “It was included in Clinton County when the latter was formed in 1839…there wasn’t any change made in the township during the twenty one years it was a part of Clinton County, and was included within the boundaries of Cameron County when it was formed in 1860.”

Though it had a fascinating history after it was ceded to Cameron County in 1860, not much happened there aside from business as usual when it was part of Clinton.

After the township was ceded, an ice spring that contained mineral water was located there, which was considered to be of some value. Oh, and a giant skeleton was exhumed when digging the cellar under Widow Earl’s store. Eighteen total skeletons were exhumed with one measuring some seven feet eight inches in length. One also still had a pipe in its mouth.

A forest fire also threatened to destroy the village of Sterling and the entire township in 1884, catching dry leaves and dead timber along the way, but also something very combustible…immense tanks holding 50,000 barrels of oil at the pump station.

“The entire force, which consisted of only eight men, exerted themselves with a determination seldom excelled, in their endeavors to impede the further progress of the fire in the direction of the tanks; scarcely being able to recognize each other through the blinding smoke, they bravely faced this new danger, expecting every moment to see the gas catch fire from some flying fragment, and fully aware that in case of an explosion they would be utterly lost, as every avenue of escape was cut off by the fire. It was an hour calculated to try their nerves, but the men succeeded in keeping the fire in check until 5 o’clock, when fortunately the wind went down, and finally, having the flames subdued in the immediate vicinity of the tanks, the attention was then turned toward the buildings, where the women were at work carrying water from the creek and dashing it over the fire, which had almost reached the houses and already burned a portion of Schrum’s stable. By this brave act the women were the means of saving the buildings. At the Cameron mines, situated on the hill, where a large number of miners are employed, the families with their household goods were taken into the mines, while the men (and many women) fought the fire and saved the settlement.”

During the later years in Cameron County, Lumber Township and the village of Sterling became quite a hub of activity for that pioneer place. A tannery, homes, newspaper, stores, hotels, restaurant, a schoolhouse, and boot maker were all located there.

A couple of days after Christmas, the historic Sterling fire destroyed many homes and businesses. The largest losses included a home, barn, household goods, hay and other items at a total of $4,000, and one individual with nine houses, blacksmith shop, barn, sawmill, and lumber also for $4,000. Insurance to cover losses existed back in those days, but was not widely popular.

The village of Cameron, located within the township, was laid out in 1859 but did not grow to the size of its neighbor Sterling. Fires in 1873 and 1882 also destroyed many homes and businesses in that area. Cameron was well known for the coke ovens and coal mining. The last census record for Lumber Township while it was still part of Clinton County, 1860, reports the following information:

127 White Males, 85 White Females, 1 Free Person of African Descent, for a total of 213 individuals.