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The population of the township, according to the census of 1910 was 3,562.
This township, covered with magnificent forests of pine and hemlock, early attracted the attention of settlers.
The greater part of the lands were owned by Hardman Philips, an Englishman, who settled in and gave his name to
Philipsburg, a town in Centre county, where he also owned thousands of acres.
Mr. Goss, above mentioned as the pioneer settler at Stump Town, had a large family of thirteen children, twelve
of whom reached maturity and assisted in settling the township. His son, Abram, was living in 1887 at Osceola Mills,
surrounded by numerous descendants.
Valentine Flegel came about 1800, his farm occupying the site subsequently occupied by the Steiner estate. He was
an M. E. local preacher, and held services at "Goss's" as early as 1815.
A man named Crane bought a tract of land from Mr. Philips and established a colony of negroes, but the settlement
was a failure, owing to the ravages made among these dusky sons of toil by disease.
Elijah Reece, an Englishman, settled on lands subsequently occupied by "Victor No. 3 colliery," coming
in 1816, accompanied by his young wife. They had three sons and two daughters, one of the latter marrying Rev.
Harvey Shaw, a Presbyterian missionary to Mexico. Mrs. Reece died in 1873 and her husband in 1883.
Other settlers were James Reams, who lo= cated at the head of coal run in 1834; Henry Kephart, who located two
and a half miles north of Osceola Mills, before 1803, and who had a numerous family; John Crowell, whose farm was
absorbed by the Logan and Logan Ridge collieries; and others, some of which settled in that part of Decatur which
afterwards became Woodward township, their names being given in the remarks on that township.
The religious and educational opportunities of these pioneer settlers were very limited. Mention has already been
made of the services held by Rev. Valentine Flegel. The second son of old Henry Kephart (Henry, Jr.) was ordained
a minister in the United Brethren church, and acted as missionary for that denomination for a number of years.
His sons all became ministers and one a bishop.
For a long time the township had but two schools. What was probably the first was built near the spot subsequently
occupied by the residence of Andrew Kephart, and Abram Goss, Jr., was the teacher. Many stories have been told
of his prowess with the rod, and the story tellers themselves were not slow to admit that they deserved most of
the thrashings they got. The other early schoolhouse was built on the Crane farm. The Crane and Goss farm houses
were about the only houses in the southeast part of the township as late as the year 1860. A sketch of Chester
Hill borough may be found in the suceeding chapter of this volume.
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