Quality of Life

History of the Area

Rupert Covered bridge

The area now known as Columbia County has a rich background in Native American history. The Susquehanna River Valley was once heavily populated by American Indians, and one of their important contributions to early settlers was the numerous trails and paths they forged through dense forests and wildernesses. The famed Six Nations of tribes: the Mohawks, Oneidas, Cayugas, Onondaga, Senecas, and later Tuscarora, lived around the Susquehanna, claiming the rights of supreme reign over other area tribes. Early contact between white settlers and the Indians was not peaceful. To protect settlers in the event of an attack, a wooden stockade was constructed in 1781 around James McClure's log cabin, located near the Susquehanna River in present Bloomsburg town limits. After the French and Indian War, relationships stabilized, and the entire valley opened for development.

Columbia County Courthouse

Columbia County was founded in March 1813, when it was separated from nearby Northumberland County. The name Columbia was derived from the Italian explorer Columbo, better know as Columbus. "Columbia" was popularized as a poetic name for America in the 1700s.

The town of Berwick was settled around 1771 by a young Quaker, Evan Owen, who purchased 313 acres of land on the north side of the river. He named the area Berwick at the suggestion of another settler who was born in the Scottish town of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

For online information about the area, visit The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce website.

Click here to request a copy of the Columbia County Image Book, containing information about Business & Industry, Education, Health Care, Recreation, and more in the area.

Bloomsburg was founded in 1802. Its settlers flourished by turning the abundant pine and hardwood forests into a booming lumber industry. With profits, settlers built roads, opened and expanded mills and welcomed the Bloomsburg Railroad and Iron Company. Bloomsburg was named government seat in 1850 in tribute to the Town's remarkable residential and industrial growth. Bloomsburg also holds the honor of being "the only Town in Pennsylvania". Bloomsburg became a Town on March 4, 1870 when State Senator Charles R. Buckalew proposed the law that would incorporate Bloomsburg as a town.

Visit the Columbia County Historical and Genealogical Society’s website for more history of the area.

238 Market Street Bloomsburg, PA 17815

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