North Centre Township

Columbia County, Pennsylvania

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North Centre Township municipal offices are located at 1059 State Route 93, Berwick PA 18603.
Phone: 570‑752‑1121.

Beginnings [1]

Erected when Centre Township was divided, May 7, 1923, to form North and South Centre Townships. Centre had been erected in January, 1843, from Bloom and Briarcreek Townships. It was named for its geographical situation. The Van Campen, Salmon, and Aikman families were the pioneer settlers in 1777. The Aikman family built their cabin on the bank of the stream since known as Cabin Run. The Van Campens and Salmons were neighbors. In the spring of 1778 the house of the Van Campens was burned by the Indians. Joseph Salmon saw the smoke and hastened from the field to his own cabin but before he reached it observed it was surrounded by Indians, and his wife and child were prisoners. He was discovered and attempted to save himself in a bridge where the enemy was unable to dislodge him or to burn it. Exasperated with this failure, they scalped his wife, then set her at liberty, but inhumanly killed the child before her eyes. The Van Campens were reserved for a fate even more sanguinary in its details of savage ferocity. The thrilling story of the escapades of Moses Van Campen have been related elsewhere. Colonel Joseph Salmon joined Van Campen and became one of the heroes of the Revolutionary War. His descendants are prominent citizens. The other village is Fowlerville. Population of North and South Centre in 1940 was 1158.

  1. Godcharles, Frederic A., Litt.D., Chronicles of Central Pennsylvania, Lewis Historical Publishing, Inc., New York, 1944

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