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     Borough History - The twenty-seven boroughs of the county are:
     Ashland, Auburn, Cressona, Frackville, Gilberton, Girardville, Landingville, Mahanoy City, Middleport, Minersville, Mt. Carbon, New Philadelphia, New Ringgold, Orwigsburg, Palo Alto, Pine Grove, Port Carbon, Port Clinton, Pottsville, St. Clair, Gordon, Schuylkill, Haven, Shenandoah, Tamaqua, Tremont, Yorkville and Tower City.

     The Press - In the following table are given the names, location and politics of the 26

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papers published in Schuylkill County, in 1893

     Pottsville Borough. - The county seat of Schuylkill county, and one of the great coal centers of the world, is the borough of Pottsville, one of the prosperous and progressive towns of the "Keystone State."  Tradition tells that the Neiman family built a cabin in Mauch Chunk street, and was murdered there by Indians prior to 1800.  In the initial year of the present century Lewis Reese and John Reed settled on the site of Pottsville, where the former was joint owner with Isaac Thomas of a tract of land on which they proposed to erect a furnace.  After the discovery of anthracite coal the place grew rapidly into a town.
     The borough of Pottsville lies in five valleys principally on the tracts of land called Pomona,  Stephens Green and Coal Pit and is now divided into seven wards:  North, Northeast, Northwest, Middle, South, Southeast and Seventh.
     Pottsville was laid out by John Pott in 1816 or 1817, and was incorporated as a borough, Feb. 19, 1828.
     Of the first permanent settlers we have the following account:
     "The operations of John Pott, Sr., were carried on at Pottsville prior to 1810 by John Pott, Jr., and Daniel Focht, as his superintendents.  They found here the Reed house, previously mentioned; a log house occupied by one Alspach, where Charles Baber's residence now is; one occupied by Anthony Schutt, on Lawton Hill; Thomas Swoyer's house, which stood where the livery stable on Union street now is; Nathan Taylor's house, on the present site of the Philadelphia and Reading freight depot, and the old Neiman house - or what remained of it.  the Pott furnace was completed in 1808, and the proprietor fitted up the Alspach house as a residence for himself and family, and in 1810 he came here to reside.  His family record included these names:  Maria, his wife, and their children, John, Jr., Mgdalina, Benjamin, James, Abraham, Mary, Catherine, William and Jacob.  This family constituted no small accession to the population of the place, which, by this time, included the families of several workmen who were at-

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tracted here by the prospects of profitable labor in the furnace."
     In 1824 the place did not contain a dozen houses, but seven years later numbered over five hundred.
     John Pott, Sr., erected Greenwood furnace and forge in 1807, and three years later an anthracite vein of coal nine feet thick was discovered.  With the coal development came the growth and progress of Pottsville.
     Census returns for sixty years show a steady increase in population.  They are: 1830, 2,464; 1840, 4,337; 1850, 7,575; 1860, 9,444; 1870, 12,384; 1880, 13,253; and 1890, 14,117.
     Pottsville is well equipped with hotels.  The Merchants' Hotel was erected in 1818, by George Dengler, and before its present enlargement was known as the White Horse Tavern.   Pennsylvania Hall Hotel was opened in 1831 by George Shoemaker.  The Mortimer and old Pottsville houses came next, and about 1830 the Exchange, afterwards Union Hotel, was built.  The Buckwalter, Northwestern, Rising Sun, Trap, American Lamb, Moyer, and Eagle houses, were erected between 1830 and 1845.
     In 1825 postal communication was opened with Pottsville and the post office established.  The postmasters and their dates of appointment have been as follows:
     Postmasters.—Thos. Sillyman, appointed, Jan. 11, 1825; Geo. Taylor, June 7, 1825; Chas. Boyter, Sept. 20, 1827; Enos Chuchester, Aug. 18, 1828; Joseph Weaver, Feb. 20, 1839; John T. Werner, Sept. 8, 1841 ; Michael Cochran, Aug. 16, 1848; Daniel Krebs, Feb. 15, 1847; Andrew Mortimer, May 2, 1849; John Clayton, April 18, 1853; Henry L. Acker, June 14, 1853; Mrs. Margaret Sillyman, April 6, 1861; Miss Amanda Sillyman, May 17, 1862; Miss Elizabeth Sillyman, June 21, 1862; James H. Mudey, July 26, 1868; Wm. R. Cole, Feb. 2, 1891.
     With the early building up of Pottsville came the establishment of a newspaper by George Taylor, who had an old Ramage press, and on March 31, 1825, issued the first number, on coarse brown paper. After various changes, Benjamin Bannan, in 1829, bought the outfit, and the Journal soon became "The Miners' Journal and Schuylkill Coal and Navigation Register." I n 1848, Mr. Bannan added "Pottsville Advertiser" to its formidable title.  On May 14, 1877, the present Miners' Journal Publishing Company was formed, and the paper is daily and weekly, the daily having been established in 1873.  In 1855 the Jefferson Demokrat succeeded the Demokratische Freiheits Presse, and in 1865 purchased the Schuylkill Demokrat.  The Amerikanische Republikaner was established in 1855, and in 1871 the Pottsville Volksblatt appeared.  The Welsh magazine, Seren Orllewinol, was started in 1844, but was removed in 1868 to Scranton.
     The second English paper in Pottsville was the Pottsville Advocate, which appeared in 1830. Succeeding papers were: The Pottsville Emporium and Democratic Press, 1838; Anthracite Gazette and Schuylkill County Advocate, 1844; Mining Register and Schuylkill County Democrat, 1850; Pottsville Gazette, 1854; Democratic Standard, 1857; Evening Transcript, 1873; Pottsville Standard, 1874; Emerald Vindicator, 1874; and Legal Record, 1879.  The Legal Chronicle, Workingman, and Sunday School Helper, were short-lived publications.
     The present papers of Pottsville are: Amerikanischer Republikaner, Evening Chronicle (daily), Jefferson Demokrat, Miners' Journal

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(daily and weekly), Republican (daily), Saturday Night Review, Schuylkill Republican and Standard.
     The Miners' Journal is an evolution from a paper established by George Taylorin 1825,        MORE TO COME

     The Miners Journal is an evolution from a paper established by George Taylor in 1825, and after a couple of changes passed into the hands of Benjamin Bannan in 1829.  Mr. Bannan changed the name to the Miners' Journal and Schuylkill Coal and Navigaiotn Register, and 1848 he added to this title, and

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a union church, built by the Dutch Reformed and Lutheran congregations.

     East Norwegian Township - This township was taken from Norwegian in 1811, and is bounded by Norwegian, New Castle, Blythe and North Manheim townships.  Among the early .settlers on or near Mill Creek were:  Peter Mewschwander, John Hughs, Philip Delcamp, John and Conrad Heim, and Solomon, Jacob, Peter and George Reep.  The earlier villages were Coquenac and Mill Creek.  Mining is the great interest in the township.  Crow Hollow drift was opened on the Mammoth in 1831.  The sinking of Pine Forest shaft was commenced May 5, 1864, and reached completion in November, 1866.

     East Union Township - In 1867 East Union was formed from Union, Rush and Mahanoy and Rush Townships and Luzerne county.  Of the first settlers of any note, who came in 1802, we have account of Thomas and William Goottschall.  The township contains two villages, Brandonville and Torbert.
      Brandonville is a post village on the Catawissa Valley Railroad.  It was laid out in 1864 by Nelson Brandon, who owned the land on which it is located.  The post office was established in 1868, and Rudolph Breisch was made first postmaster.  Torbert is a pleasant hamlet, and is doubtless as well and favorably known from being the residence of Hon. William S. Torbert, as from any other reason.  The estate of Mr. Torbert covers about seven
thousand acres.

     Eldred Township - Eldred was erected in 1848, from Upper Mahantongo township, and is bounded by Northumberland county, and Barry, Hegins, Hubley and Upper Manhantongo townships.  Between 1805 and 1808 Caspar Heplar, Jacob Reinart, Samuel Dreschler and John Bescher came into the township.  The main villages are Pitman and Helfenstein, named for Judge William L. Helfenstein.
     The Schuylkill basin touches this town in such a way as to indicate a favorable mining location, and in 1868 Judge William Helfenstein, of Pottsville, induced the firm of Bittle, Gilerman & Robison to open a colliery at the point which now bears his name.  The first coal was shipped from here in 1870, over the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad.  The Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company purchased the interest of Judge Helfenstein in 1872, and continued to operate the mines until 1877 when work in them was suspended.

     Foster Township - This township was erected in 1855 from Butler, Barry and Cass townships.  Foster is bounded by Barry, Butler, Hegins, Frailey, Reilly and Cass townships.  Of its earlier settlers no accurate account has been preserved.  The southern coal field extends into the township, and mining is carried on at Mt. Pleasant, Glen Carbon and other points near those two places.  The Mt. Pleasant, Glen Carbon, Glendower and Taylor collieries some years ago passed into the hands of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company.
     In 1831 Widow Levan kept a tavern in an old log-house on the site of Mount Pleasant.  This village grew up under the impetus given to the neighborhood by coal operations in the vicinity by John Graham and others.  Glen Carbon, in the south-eastern part of the township is a post village.

     Frailey Township - This township was named in honor of Associate Judge Charles Frailey and was formed in 1847 from Branch,

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Barry, Porter and Lower Mahantongo townships.  It is bounded by Higgins, Barry, Reilly, Tremont and Porter townships.  The first settler, Black Charley, a colored man, erected a log hut near Donaldson, where he lived a hermit life.   MORE TO COME

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