Historical Danville News Stories

William Montgomery and his son Daniel founded and laid out the town of Danville in the late 18th century. Montgomery established the first woolen, saw and grist mill, and later added a distillery. Danville' iron manufacturing history traces back to William Montgomery's influence, and the prevalence of resources allowed other industrialists to perfect the manufacturing process. Montgomery was also a pioneer in using anthracite coal to heat homes in the county.

In 1792, William Montgomery constructed the stone house that stands today at the corner of Mill Street and Bloom Road. Today the home is a museum that displays the history of the area.

Another contributor to Danville's early development was the Pennsylvania Canal System. In 1826, Daniel Montgomery was appointed to the newly created Board of Canal Commissioners, serving as the first president. Through his leadership, the North Branch of the Pennsylvania Canal System was established to provide transportation needed for the shipping of a variety of products.

Danville's development into an important iron manufacturing center came from the abundance of iron furnaces, increased immigration and the use of the canal system and railroads. The iron manufacturing era began with the siting of the John C. Thiel foundry in 1829 and continued in 1839 with the construction of the Columbia Furnace, which is believed to have been the first anthracite furnace in the nation.

The advance of the iron era led to Danville's greatest contribution to Americas expansion, the manufacturing of T-rails. In the 1840s, T-rails, used in the railroad industry, were imported from England at a great cost. In the mid 1800s, skilled iron finished William Hancock and John Foley were brought to Danville from England to manufacture the nations first T-rail. The manufacturing of the T-rail created great demand and contributed to the growth of the railroads, while providing employment for more than 1,100 people in the community.

By 1853, Danville had three rolling mills producing T-rails, five blast furnaces and four foundries. With the 1873 depression and the countrys conversion from iron to steel, however, the iron industry began to decline. In 1895, the early iron works were consolidated into two firms: The Reading Iron Company, operating the Big Mill, and the Glendower Iron Works. The mills continued to operate through the turn of the century, with the Big Mill ceasing operation at the end of the Great Depression.

In 1871, the present Montour County Courthouse was erected, replacing an earlier structure on the same site. The Montour County Jail was build in 1893 by architect John Brugler.

During the time of Danville's rapid growth, the town was home to many industrialists, including Thomas Beaver, a prominent local industrialist and philanthropist of the late 19th century. He established the Danville Stove and Manufacturing Company in 1882. He also established the towns library and YMCA in 1886.

In 1915, Abigail A. Geisinger saw the completion of the George F. Geisinger Memorial Hospital, named in honor of her iron-magnate husband. Over the years the hospital has grown into a sprawling medical complex of national stature and is the largest employer in the Susquehanna Valley.