60 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES
umberland circuit, which extended from that town up the North Branch to the Wyoming valley, and up the West Branch to Great Island. The distance traveled by the circuit rider in making his rounds was three hundred miles, which was accomplished in six weeks. When the nature of the country and roads, and the pittance allowed the ministers of those limes, are taken into consideration it may well be admitted that their labors were distinctly unselfish, and the results of their efforts remarkable.
This territory was for many years supplied
by only two ministers and included the present circuits and stations of Williamsport,
Newbury, Muncy, Milton, Northumberland,
Mifflinburg, Lewisburg, Catawissa, Bloomsburg, Berwick, Bloomingdalc, Orangeville,
Sunbury and Bellefonte. Previous to 1804
Danville circuit belonged to the Philadelphia
conference, but in that year was transferred to
the Baltimore conference. In 1807
it was returned to the Philadelphia conference, in 1810
it was included in the Genesee conference, and
in 1820 it was reassigned to the Baltimore conference.
The preachers who labored in the old Northumberland circuit were:
1791--Richard Parrott, Lewis Browning.
1792--James Campbell, William Colbert.
1739--James Campbell, James Paynter.
1794--Robert Manley, John Broadhead.
1795--James Ward, Stephen Timmons.
1796--John Seward, Richard Sneath.
1797--John Lackey, John Highy.
1798--John Lackey, John Lead.
1799--James Moore, Benjamin Bidlack, David Stephens.
1800--Ephraim Chambers, Edward Larkin, Asa Smith.
1801--Johnston Dunham, Gilbert Carpenter.
1802--Anning Owen, James Aikin.
1803--Daniel Ryan, James Ridgeway.
1804--Thomas Adams, Gideon Draper.
1805--Christopher Frey, James Saunders.
1806--Robert Burch, John Swartzwelder.
1807--Nicholas Willis, Joel Smith.
1808--Thomas Curren, John Rhodes.
1809--Timothy Lee, Loring Grant.
1810--AbrahamDawson, Isaac Puffer.
1811--B. G. Paddock, J. H. Baker, R. Lanning.
1812--George Thomas, Ebenezer Doolittle.
1813--Joseph Kineaid, Joseph Chamberlayne.
1814--John Haggard. Abraham Dawson.
1815--Reynolds. M. Everts. I. B. Cook.
1816--John Thomas, Alpheus Davis.
1817--Benjamin Bidlack, Peter Baker.
1818--Gideon Lanning, Abraham Dawson.
1819--John Rhodes, Darius Williams.
1820--John Rhodes, Israel B. Cook.
1821--Marmaduke Pearce, John Thomas.
1822--John Thomas, Mordecai Barry.
1823--Jacob B. Shephard, Mordecai Barry.
1824--Robert Cadden, F. McCartney.
1825--Robert Cadden, Richard Bond.
1826--John Thomas, George Hildt.
1827--John Thomas, David Straver.
1829--James W. Donahay, Josiah Forrest.
1830--James W. Donahay, A. A. Eskrdige.
Berwick circuit was formed in 1831, Danville remaining in the old Northumberland circuit until 1836. The pastors of the Danville circuit were:
1831--David Shaw.
1832--Marmaduke Pearce, James Forrest.
1833--Josiah Forrest, James Reed.
1834--Henry Tarring, Oliver Ege.
1835--Henry tarring, John Guyer, R. Beers, Thomas Meyers.
1836--Joseph S. Lee, R. W. H. Brent.
1837--Samuel Ellis, Stephen Hilderbrand.
1838--Robert T. Nixon, William Hirst.
1839--Robert T. Nixon, J. W. Houghewent.
1840--George Bergstresser, Joseph A. Ross.
1841--George Bergstresser, George Guyer.
1842--John Ball, James Guyer.
1843--John Ball, S. G. Hare.
1844--James Ewing, George A. Coffey.
1845--James Ewing, B. F. Bronks.
Pastors of the Berwick circuit were:
1831--William Prettyman, Wesley Howe.
1832--William Prettman, Oliver Ege.
1833--Marmaduke Pearce, Alem Brittain.
1834-35--John Rhodes, J. H. Young.
1836--J. Shanks, J. Hall.
1837--J. Shanks, George Guyer.
1838--Charles Kallafus, J. Hall.
1839--Charles Kallafus, Penheld Doll.
1840--James Ewing, William R. Mills.
1841--James Ewing, W. F. D. Clemm.
1842--Thomas Taneyhill, Joseph A. Ross.
1843--Thomas Taneyhill, Thomas Bowman.
1844--Francis N. Mills, W.L. Spottswood.
1845--John Bowen, W. F. Pentz.
1846--John Bowen, J. W. Bull.
The Bloomsburg circuit was formed in 1847 and the pastors in charge were:
1847--S. L. M. Cooser, J. Turner.
1848--G. H. Day, J. W. Elliott.
1849--John W. Gere, G. H. Day.
1850--J. S. Lee, F. H. Waring.
1851--J. S. Lee, T. M. Goofellow.
1852--Thomas Taneyhill, W. E. Buckingham.
1853--Thomas Taneyhill, J. A. DeMoyer.
1854--J. A. Ross, A. W. Guyer.
1855--J. Moorhead, F. M. Slusser.
1856--George Warren, S. Harnes.
1857--George Warren, N. W. Colburn.
1858-59--J. Guyer, T. Sherlock.
1860--F. Gearhart, A. R. Riley.
After 1862 the Bloomsburg circuit was divided and Bloomsburg was made a station.
The following are the circuits and stations of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Columbia and Montour counties, together with the number of members, value of church property and the names of the pastors in charge in 1914:
