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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES
- Urangcville Hutcl” is an old hostelry. It was
OwncO and conducted for many years by Sam uel Magcnbuch, and some time a fte r his death was soiU by the heirs to C. I L Kcicc. In 19 13 it passed into the hands o f Jam es Kedlinc* the present landlord. T he Sterling Shoe Company* owned by A . C. Guinn and Irvin Kocdcr o f Catawissa, w as cstablished in Orangeville in 1908 and employed twenty men at one time. The plant was o ^ r atcd by electricity and manufactured children's and misses' shoes, it closed in 19 12 . The Conner Imptcfnent H 'orks O ne of the important manufacturing plants in the county and for years the chief support of the residents o f Orangeville was the Conner A grku ltu ral Implement W orks, which were burned in June* 19 14 . Benjamin Hayhurst began the manufacture u f fanning implements in his blacksmith shop here and was succeeded in 1853 by William Schuyler, who continued it for twenty years, . ftc f passing through several hands the shop was purchasM in 1880 by White & Conner, who devotcil their time entirely to making wheelbarrows, harrows and bobsleds. In 1896 M r. Conner assumed full control of the works, and in 1909 he took into partnership his son Gerald. Mr. Conner bought the water right of the old gristmill on the creek above town, and clearing out (he abandoned millracc, constructed a concrete dam across Fishing creek* 2 1 2 feet long, built a concrete powerbouse and insialle<l a 75-kilow‘att generator, openitcd by a 55horsepower turbine. H e dcvclopctl the implemcnt factory to a high degree, putting alt o f his profits into it in the sha]>c of building.s and macniiicr)'. A t the time of the fire it consisted o f six two-stor>* buildings* housing a planing mill* foundry, machine shop* blacksmith shop and two warehouses. T he products o f (his plant were threshers, fodder cutters, wood saws, sprioploolh harrows. Scotch harrows, iKibsleds an<l w*hcclbarrow*s. .About thirty men were employed and the prosperity o f (he town to a great degree depended on that o f th e w o r k s .
.A peevish baby w as the cause o f its mother aw*akeiiing and discovering the fire. Mrs. Harr)* Ebncr awoke a little l>efore four one morning in June* 19 14, and noticing the bla?e roused her brother. Harr>* W illiams. T he alarm w as given (o most of the residents o f Orangeville. F o r a time the bucket brigade had a hard time preventing the total destruc-
tion of the town, but :$trong efforts ffiially conquered the Hamcs. Four of the buildings* containing all of the machinery except the dectric pJaiu, and all o f (he stock on hand* besides $5»ooo worth o f lumber* went up in smoke* the total loss l>cmg almost $40*000* with but Httle insurance. I'he lire w as more difficult to light because of the darkness caused by the breaking o f a flywheel in the clcctrk plant the day before. T h is left the town in darkness* as besides operating his factory' Mr. Conner supplied the town with lights. A fte r the fire Mr, Conner at once cleaned up the debris and erected concrete buildings* establishing the works on a fim ier footing than before. Ilis water rights and Un’alton are ideal and the workmen are firmly settled in the town* so that rebuilding on the same site w*as the logical thing, although he rccciveil many advantageous offers from other towns. The|>ctition fo rth c incor{>oration of Orangeville w as presented to the projier court in and in February of the following year it w as made a borough. The election in that month resulted as follow s: A . B. H erring, bu rgess; C. J . McgargcII, J . B, Montgomery* C. B. White, I. B. DeLong* O. S . Fleekenstine, R . Fistcr, f. W. Conner, councilmen; IL J . Conner* J . B. Harman, justices; G . L . Jo lly . L . C . Wilbanks. H . B . 1a i w * G . M. D. H erring, K. H . Sloan, school directors; L K . Dildine. .A. V. Eveland. |Kx>r overseers. A t that time there were aliout ninety-one freeholders in the new borough. The present council o f Orangeville is com]»osed o f : E . W’. Coleman, burgess; and O. F . Delxing, A . It. Herring* Joseph Fleekenstine* l IL Dildine* O . R . Hcnrie, C. W . Trump* councilmen. K. H. Sloan is justice of the peace, p o r o i.A T io N
The population o f O rangeville in 1847. according to an old liistory. w*as about tw*o htindred persons. A t that date there were forty houses in the town, several stores and two taverns. In 1900 the census gave the town 439 inhabitants, and in 19 10 one less than 400. >1 EDICa i .
The physicians who have been settled at Orangeville since its founding bave been: Drs. A . P . Stoddard. George L. lolly, O. A . M egargell* G. E . Fulm er and W, T . A'ancc. O f these the first two named have practiced here continuously for many years. The latter two arc late comers.
